The Wish of the Dragon
by abyss-of-lights
Summary: AU. In a land far back in time, there existed mages and wizards. However, peace is threatened when a mastermind known as Aizen starts a war. In the midst of all this chaos and fear, Toushiro finds Karin and is assigned to be her bodyguard. Fate soon intervenes, and the two are brought closer together than they ever expected.
1. the bodyguards

**Hello everyone! Here's my first chapter-fic! I'm really excited and nervous at the same time. I'm going to try and update this story every week, but no guarantees!**  
**So I've been trying to get the first chapter out for a couple of days now, but I'm not really satisfied with it. I hope it's still enjoyable to read! Remember to review afterwards, please. (:**

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach c:**

* * *

"Stop it Ichi-nii! I don't need a babysitter to look after me!" Karin shouted out angrily. "I am perfectly capable of looking out after myself, thank you very much."

Ichigo sighed. "Look Karin. I know that you're more than capable of looking out after yourself. But we're in a war! We're getting you a bodyguard, not a babysitter. He's not going to interfere with your daily activities or anything. He's just there to make sure you're safe!" Ichigo replied wearily. He'd had this argument with his younger sister countless times already, and he was growing tired of it. "Why can't you be less stubborn? Yuzu was perfectly content with getting a bodyguard."

"Yuzu and I are completely different people!" Karin exploded. Karin's younger twin sister was certainly different from her; they contrasted like day and night. While Karin had straight midnight-black hair which ran to her mid-back, Yuzu had curly, sunshine-coloured hair which came to her lower back. Karin had a pale complexion (despite how often she was outside) and sparkling grey eyes; Yuzu on the other hand was slightly tanner, with warm, honey-coloured eyes. Even their personalities differed greatly. Karin was outgoing, loud, and rude (which is very unbefitting for someone of her status), while Yuzu was sweet, kind, and quiet. Despite their differences though, the two twins were extremely close.

Ichigo sighed again. Why was his younger sister so opposed to having someone protect her? Of course, he already knew the answer to his question. Karin was a lot like him. She didn't want to be protected; she wanted to do the protecting. She wanted to be strong. Ichigo absent-mindedly ran his hand through his spiky orange hair as he pondered how he could change her mind. Truth be told, Karin didn't really need a bodyguard (she could pack quite a mean punch). But the fact that they were in a war remained unchanged. No matter how strong she was, she was still only a 16-year old girl, who could easily be used as bait by the opposing side. And there was no way in _hell_ that Ichigo would let one of his baby sisters get injured.

Karin continued to stand in front of Ichigo, her face set with a frown. Her arms were crossed over her chest (believe it or not, Karin had gained herself a nice set of curves) as she tapped her foot impatiently. Her raven hair was blowing about slightly, as the gentle breeze blew past the two.

Ichigo tried a different approach. "Look, I'm not saying that you need a bodyguard. But it would relieve me and Oyaji when we're on the battlefield, knowing that you're safe. So please, would you accept the bodyguard, for us?" Ichigo pleaded.

Karin stopped tapping her foot and she looked up sharply. Ichigo couldn't read the look in her eyes, but he could tell she was thinking over what he just said. After all, despite how violent she could be with her brother and father, she truly cared for them. After the incident over a year ago with Kurosaki Masaki, the Kurosaki family had become a lot closer.

"...Fine," Karin replied under her breath. When she saw Ichigo starting to grin, she quickly glared at him and continued. "But only so that you two won't end up worrying about me on the battlefield. That would only result in you two getting yourselves killed. Don't think for a _moment_ that I'll be courteous to this bodyguard!"

With that, Karin spun sharply on her heel and exited the castle's garden.

* * *

The Kurosaki family was a royal family that ruled over the kingdom of Karakura. Kurosaki Isshin was a fair (and exuberant) king who was loved by all. He had three children, including Kurosaki Ichigo, Kurosaki Karin, and Kurosaki Yuzu. All three of them often wandered into the various villages within their kingdom, and they had all made many friends with the citizens there. Lastly, there was Isshin's late wife, Masaki, who had been a wonderful queen. She treated all her subjects with kindness and compassion, and even more so with her own family. The incident which had happened 14 months ago had scarred the kingdom, dealing a heavy blow to its royal family especially. It had also marked the start of the war.

The war was started by Aizen Sosuke, a man formerly thought to have been compassionate, intelligent, and good-natured. He was from a noble family of Seireitei, a kingdom neighbouring the kingdom of Karakura. He was on good terms with the royal family (the Hinamori family), especially its youngest member, Hinamori Momo. He proved to be an inspiring member of society. That was before his betrayal.

He had stabbed Hinamori Momo in the stomach before fleeing Seireitei with two trusted allies of his, Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen. It had been revealed that Aizen had been plotting to start a war for years; the reason is still unknown, to this day. He fleed to the last kingdom that remained in the land; Hueco Mundo. Unlike the other two kingdoms, Hueco Mundo had been lacking a proper government, and it had a terrible reputation. Its streets were polluted with starving people, violent bandits, drunken men, and shameless women. Once Aizen arrived, he established it as _his_ kingdom, and he became its ruler.

The war was initiated a few months after his betrayal with an attack on the outer cities of Seireitei. Hundreds of innocent citizens died, and thousands more were injured. The kingdom of Karakura immediately offered its help to Seireitei, which was gratefully accepted. After all, these two kingdoms had a long history of friendship and comradeship.

The war quickly escalated to heated battles and loss of innocent lives everyday. Karakura and Seireitei handpicked its best mages and wizards to partake in the war. Any less, and it would have been a waste of time and lives. Among the few chosen, Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Ichigo were the top mages from the kingdom of Karakura. They were accompanied by other mages and wizards, including Uryuu Ishida, Uryuu Ryuuken, Inoue Orihime, Yasutora Sado, and more.

Kurosaki Karin herself had wanted to participate in the battles. She had wanted to be a soldier who would protect her home and her people. Of course, both her brother and her father would not let her. Heck, Karin wouldn't be going to war over their dead bodies. So Karin had no choice but to stay at home all day, with absolutely nothing to do. Sure, she could always venture into the various villages within the inner walls of her kingdom (her brother wouldn't let her go to the outer villages, as he deemed them too "dangerous") and play some soccer (it is probably fairly obvious by now that Karin isn't your typical princess; I mean, what princess plays _soccer?_) with her friends, but what was the point in that when her country was currently in a war? So, for the last 14 months, Karin had been in an extremely irritable and grumpy mood. Offering her a bodyguard didn't cheer her up one bit.

"Come on Karin-chan, I'm sure it'll be fun!" Yuzu exclaimed cheerfully. The two twins had just woken up and were eating breakfast in the dining room - alone. After all, their brother and father were currently holding an important war meeting in the council room, and no one else ever ate meals with them. "Having a bodyguard means having a friend around you all the time! You won't have to be lonely that way," she said sweetly.

Karin only grunted in response. _Having some guy following me around 24/7 does not strike me as something that is "fun"._ Karin was smart enough not to say that out loud though, as Yuzu could be slightly sensitive at times. "Yuzu, I'm not sure if I want a bodyguard though. What's the point in having one?"

"Well, I've heard that the bodyguard who was assigned to you is really handsome! At least he'll be pleasant to look at, right?"

Karin snorted. Being handsome wasn't going to change Karin's opinion of the man. "Whatever..." she muttered.

A maid suddenly burst into the room. "Excuse me Karin-sama, Yuzu-sama. Your bodyguards have arrived," she said after curtseying. She quickly ushered two men into the room before hurrying away to attend to some other duties.

In front of Karin and Yuzu stood two young men. One had spiky white hair (that did not follow the laws of gravity) and striking emerald eyes. He was rather small in stature, being only slightly taller than Karin and Yuzu. His face was currently frowning at the moment. The other had chin-length black hair and fidgety blue eyes. He stood somewhat nervously, and his hands were tugging down on his plain black shirt. He was also rather short and small in stature.

"Eh...g-good morning Your Highnesses," the black-haired man stuttered quietly. "We'll be y-your bodyguards starting from today. I'm Yamada Hanataro, and t-this is Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Yuzu giggled quietly, somewhat amused by the man's extremely nervous demeanour. Karin simply raised one thin, black eyebrow.

"I've b-been assigned to Kurosaki Yuzu-sama, and Hitsugaya-san has been assigned to Kurosaki Karin-sama," Hanataro meekly continued. "Please treat us well," he finished with a shaky bow. Hitsugaya remained unmoving.

"Nice to meet you Hanataro-san!" Yuzu said brightly. "Is it alright if I call you that?" she asked sweetly. Hanataro bobbed his head up and down vigorously. "That's great! Well, I'll show you to your quarters alright? And Karin can do the same for Hitsugaya-san." With that, Yuzu sweeped out of the room gracefully, with Hanataro scampering after her.

She quietly closed the door to the dining room, her breakfast (which was pancakes if you're wondering) completely forgotten about.

An empty silence filled the room as Karin and Hitsugaya had a stare-off. Gray orbs met green ones as each continued to burn holes in the other.

Finally, Karin spoke.

"I'll only say this once. I don't want, and I don't need a bodyguard. You're only here so that Ichi-nii and Oyaji won't need to continuously worry about me. In other words, feel free to do whatever the hell you want. I'll show you your quarters, and that's that. Any issues?"

Hitsugaya stared at Karin, obviously not impressed. "That's not language suitable for someone of your status," he said simply in his deep, smooth voice.

Karin scoffed. "What does it matter to you?" she shot back. Though she appeared cold and aloof on the surface, inside, she was a mess. _Why does this guy look so familiar? Do I...know him from somewhere? And gosh, Yuzu, calling him handsome is the understatement of the century. This guy is as attractive as they get!_

Hitsugaya made no move to make a response, so Karin decided that taking him to his quarters and then getting as far away from his was the best course of action for the moment. Karin quickly stood up and made to the door in confident strides. "You coming, shorty?" she shot over her shoulder. As she went through the doors, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Hitsugaya immediately started scowling.

_Huh. Interesting kid,_ she thought to herself while grinning slightly.

* * *

**Et voila! That was the first chapter of "The Wish of the Dragon". I know it wasn't very good, but I promise (well..I hope) that it will get better! :) Why does Karin feel like she knows Toushiro? If you wait patiently for the next chapter(s), you'll find out!;D**  
**Remember to review before you leave please!;)**


	2. familiarizing

**Hooray! The second chapter for "The Wish of the Dragon" is out! I honestly didn't think I'd have both chapters 1 and 2 out in one weekend. (: You'll have to wait a bit longer for the third chapter though. :/**

**Please enjoy, and remember to review after! Please!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Bleach (or else HitsuKarin would be canon, duh!), Tite Kubo does. (:**

* * *

"Here. Your quarters. You'll find also find a bathroom and a closet in there somewhere. I'm basically right next door to you," Karin paused here to point at the door right across the hall, "Since you are technically my bodyguard."

Hitsugaya nodded briefly to show he understood. "Well. About what you said earlier... Believe me, I am very tempted to take your offer of doing whatever I want. After all, I'm sure I don't look overjoyed at having to follow you around all day. But I'm being paid for this job, and it would be a breach of conduct if I just lazed around all day, not looking after you. Don't," he warned menacingly when it looked like Karin was about to interrupt. "Don't think that I'm doing this for you," he finished with an icy glare.

"Don't think I want you to be," Karin snarled back with her own cold glare. She breathed in through her nose before continuing. "And, I was about to compliment you on not being a lazy asshole who only cared about being paid, but not actually doing the job properly. But obviously, you didn't want to hear it."

Hitsugaya blanked for a brief moment before recomposing himself. "Is that so? Well, thank you."

There was an awkward pause.

"I suppose I'm sorry Kurosaki-sama. That was improper of me to snap at you like that. I've just had a long and rough journey travelling here from Seireitei, so I'm not in the best of moods," Hitsugaya said while bowing slightly.

"...It's fine. It's no big deal. But don't bow. Please. I think you've already noticed, but I'm not exactly into all of this "princess" crap. So don't call me 'Kurosaki-sama' either," Karin replied. While answering, she began to regret her attitude towards him a bit. After all, what he said was true. Seireitei was extremely far from Karakura, and it would take at least 3 days and 3 nights for them to arrive, even with the fastest carriage. He really must've been extremely tired.

"Alright then, Kurosaki."

Karin was about to retort by saying just "Karin" would be fine, but then Hitsugaya started yawning. "Ah. You must be really tired. How about you take a rest for the day. I guess I'll stay in your room today so you won't be 'breaching the code of conduct' or whatever it's called," Karin offered.

Hitsugaya looked slightly stunned. "Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly. Despite how rude it would be to sleep on the first day of his job, Hitsugaya couldn't deny that he really wanted to sleep at the moment.

Karin just shrugged. "Sure. There's nothing else that I would be doing anyways."

Hitsugaya smiled at Karin slightly and very briefly, before opening the door to his quarters. He stepped in slowly, looking around at what would be his home for an unknown length of time. The walls were painted a beautiful icy blue, and were covered with a few paintings of the Kurosaki family. One painting that immediately caught his eyes was one of Karin - she was sitting elegantly on a canopy bed, hair brushed up neatly into a tight bun. She was wearing a beautiful, silky purple dress that hugged her curves sweetly. Her hands tenderly held a basket of food and she was smiling pleasantly. It was an extreme contrast to the person standing behind him, who had her hair down messily, and was wearing what he assumed to be her nightdress (it was a thin little thing that had Hitsugaya blushing profusely) with a furry bathrobe wrapped around her (Hitsugaya was grateful that the girl was decent enough to cover up her flimsy dress with the robe). Not to mention her rude and loud personality, and all the nasty glares and scowls she had given him. Hitsugaya caught himself thinking that the painting of Karin showed another side to her - behind her obnoxious attitude, her face really was quite feminine and pleasant to look at. Hitsugaya blushed slightly at the thought and continued to examine the rest of the room. On the far right was a large bed that was already prepared, and sunlight streamed in from the windows on the other side of the room. The windows were draped with plump, blue, silky curtains and there was a silver chandelier hanging off the ceiling.

"Fancy place you have here," Hitsugaya commented offhandedly.

"Only the best for our noble bodyguards," Karin muttered under her breath while rolling her eyes.

Normally, Hitsugaya would've become irritated, but he only chuckled at her comment. He quickly went to check out the spacious closet and luxurious bathroom before settling down on the bed. Karin was sitting on the couch facing the bed, reading a book.

"You never struck me as the literate type," Hitsugaya commented while smirking slightly.

"I love reading just as much as the next person," Karin protested. "I just sometimes prefer going outside. When the sun's out, everything just feels brighter and happier. Not to mention the smell of crisp grass and the feeling of the breeze as I run."

"Wow. You're poetic," Hitsugaya replied in an amused tone.

"S-shut up!" Karin cried out as she threw a cushion from the couch she was lying on. It hit Hitsugaya square in the face and landed on the floor with a _thump_. "I thought you said you were tired! Go to sleep already."

Hitsugaya glared at Karin for throwing the pillow at him, but he made no remark and proceeded to lie down on the bed and sleep. As he lay in bed, waiting for sleep to overtake him, he started thinking about the girl who he was supposed to protect. He definitely found her rude and annoying, but at the same time, he liked her outgoing and lively personality. He also had to admit to himself that she was quite attractive with that flowing raven hair, high cheekbones, shining eyes, and full lips. His thoughts drifted to how he felt as if he met her before. Did he know her...? And why did he feel as if he was being drawn to her...? Questions continued to swim in his head as he fell into a much-needed slumber.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toushiro was 3 years older than Karin, making him 19. He was known all over Seireitei as the "ice-cold prince", and he had mobs of fangirls due to his attractive looks. Calling him a "prince" was actually somewhat appropriate though. He came from a highly-ranked noble family in Seireitei. The Hitsugaya family were distant relatives to the Hinamori family, so Hitsugaya grew up often playing with the royal family's youngest child, Hinamori Momo. The two families were extremely close, and Hitsugaya and Momo were practically brother and sister. As a result, Hitsugaya became increasingly protective of her. When he heard what Aizen had done, he swore he would have his revenge.

* * *

Mages and wizards made up around 35% of the land's population. They were a species who could use magic and that made some humans fear them in the past. Over a span of thousands of years, equality between mages and wizards and humans settled in, and all lived in peace and harmony. However, there were always a few mages or wizards who felt as if they were superior to humans. They felt that because of their ability to use magic, they could use humans as slaves, and they placed themselves higher up in society. This had been a cause of multiple wars in the land's history, but the last war had been over 200 years ago.

Many humans mistakenly believed that mages and wizards had a longer lifespan than them. This was actually not true, as apart from the ability to use magic, the two species were practically the same.

Though wizards and mages were generally classified as the same species, their magical abilities were somewhat different. Wizards generated their magic through their own energy, and body. They were more rare than mages, who had spirits that lived in their bodies. The spirits that lived in mages' bodies were the ones who provided mages the ability to channel their magical energy outwards of their body. Mages and spirits often had close relationships, especially since a spirit would choose its mage at a young age. This would provide the duo a lifetime to bond. Very rarely has it been heard of for a mage to host two magical spirits within their body; this is a sign of extremely powerful, dormant magic within the mage's body.

Seireitei and Karakura had formed an alliance thousands of years ago, before the equality of humans was established. They had named their alliance "The Light Legion". The two royal families of "The Light Legion" had been the founders of the alliance, and they passed the role of king or queen of each kingdom from generation to generation. The Kurosaki family and Hinamori family, the two founding families, are still close to this day. Kurosaki Isshin is the 776th head of the Kurosaki family. Hinamori Akio* was the 778th head of the Hinamori family.

Kurosaki Masaki was half-human and half-wizard. Kurosaki Isshin was a pure-blooded mage. The result was a combination of species among their three children; Ichigo was mostly a mage, Yuzu a half-human half-wizard like her mother, and Karin, a half-mage half-wizard.

* * *

"You're a mage, Toushiro?!" Karin asked in shock.

"Well, of course. Do you really think someone like your brother would allow a human to protect you? I'm not trying to say I'm better than humans, but there's no denying that mages have more power than an average human."

Karin whistled. "Wow...You're a mage, eh? That's pretty cool. Since, you know, mages are somewhat rare."

"Are you really one to talk? You're a half-mage half-wizard. I'd say that's pretty rare."

"I-I dunno. I guess. So, what type of magic do you use? What's your spirit's name?" Karin asked, quickly trying to direct the topic of the conversation away from herself.

Hitsugaya did not miss the change in topic, but he decided not to press it. "I have the power to manipulate ice. My spirit's name is Hyourinmaru. What about you?"

Again, Karin started fidgeting slightly and tried to avoid the topic of her magical abilities. "Oh! Umm...Look at the time. Let's go eat lunch. I'm starving."

This time, Hitsugaya would not let Karin escape without an explanation. "Karin. Why are you desperately avoiding talking about your magical abilities? Is...something wrong?" he asked, slightly worried.

Karin heaved a giant sigh. "Look, it's nothing to worry about, alright? I...I just don't know how to use any magic whatsoever. Apparently, my spirit formed a bond with me a long time ago, but I can't sense its presence at all. It's basically refusing to talk to me. And, since my brother and father are so annoyingly overprotective, I never got a chance to learn how to use my Wizard magic. I'm not sure if you know this, but wizards don't just naturally know how to use magic. They need to be taught how. So, that's why I like avoiding the topic of my magic abilities. Wanna go grab lunch now?"

Hitsugaya remained silent for a bit before nodding and following Karin to the dining room. As the two walked to their lunch, Hitsugaya remained in deep thought. He had never heard of a mage who couldn't contact their spirit. Was that even possible? Surely, there must've been a good explanation for this. People like Kurotsuchi would surely be interested in studying Karin. He shuddered at the thought of Kurotsuchi, a mad scientist back in Seireitei who sent chills down his back every time he talked to him. Kurotsuchi Mayuri came from a lesser noble house in Seireitei, and he was always itching to carry out experiments.

Hitsugaya was snapped back to reality when Karin attempted to kick him in the legs. "Stop dozing off, shorty! Are you _still _tired from your voyage? That was over a week ago!" she scolded.

"I'm _not_ short. I'm taller than you. And, I was just lost in thought," Hitsugaya remarked.

Karin gave a small _hmph_ before dragging him into the dining room for lunch. Because, boy was she starving! Thankfully, the food was already prepared and the two began eating as soon as they sat down. The two ate in silence. Karin vaguely wondered where Yuzu was. Perhaps she had already eaten with Hanataro?After all, it was fairly late for lunch; 2:30 pm. Karin also started wondering how different it was for her to eat lunch with Hitsugaya. After all, before the bodyguards arrived, she had never eaten with anyone outside of her direct family. Now, it was basically mandatory for Hitsugaya to eat with her. At first, she had assumed that having to eat him would drive her nuts, but she soon realized that she actually liked his company.

Indeed, Karin now felt somewhat foolish for how rude she was to Hitsugaya at their first meeting. After spending the first day in his room watching him sleep, Karin had decided to change her attitude towards him. After all, he wasn't as bad as she imagined he would be. He was never overbearingly annoying, and maintained a respectful distance. At the same time, he offered her comfortable company that relieved her of her constant boredom. Not to mention how cute and peaceful he looked when he was sleeping! Karin blushed inwardly at that thought and pushed it away. Overall though, she and Hitsugaya had managed to form some type of strange friendship and she appreciated it. She was almost - _almost_ but not quite - grateful for agreeing with Ichi-nii on this one.

But honestly speaking, Hitsugaya hadn't fulfilled his role of a bodyguard at all. Since there was _nothing_ that he needed to protect her _from_. He was basically being paid for keeping Karin company, but in the end, she really didn't mind too much.

"So. Are we going to be playing soccer again after lunch?" Hitsugaya asked casually. Karin made it known in the first few days that she absolutely adored soccer. She went out almost everyday to play soccer with her friends in the villages. She had dragged Hitsugaya along with her and forced him to play soccer with her and her friends. Eventaully, Hitsugaya himself started enjoying the sport, and he eagerly looked forward to afternoons everyday.

"Hell yes!" Karin exclaimed enthusiastically while chewing on her grilled chicken leg.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes slightly at Karin's liveliness, but he smiled inwardly to himself. This girl was just so _interesting _and amusing sometimes. He finished eating his lunch, and sat there in silence for a few minutes, watching Karin gulp her lunch down.

"Alright, I'm done eating. Let me go change into something comfortable, and we'll hit the road!"

* * *

Karin and Hitsugaya were both panting and out of breath. They had started playing soccer as soon as they finished lunch - around 3 o'clock - and they never took a break. It was 8 o'clock now. Karin's village friends had gone home long ago, leaving the two alone. They had been playing a one-on-one game for the past 3 hours, and the score was currently tied 13-13.

Karin was wearing a bland purple shirt and a pair of black shorts that reached just above her knees. She loved wearing this outfit, as it didn't restrict her movement like those annoying, tight dresses. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her forehead was glistening with sweat. Hitsugaya was sweating profusely too; his hair was matted back and wet with sweat, as was his forehead, like Karin. He wore a thin white top and black track pants. Both players were wearing strapped sandals with socks.

"Well, since it's getting late, let's wrap this up?" Karin asked with a mischievous grin. Hitsugaya nodded back while smirking slightly. "Ok. Whoever scores this last goal wins, and the loser has to do whatever the winner says for a whole week. Deal?" Karin asked with a glint in her eye.

"Hah. Get ready to lose Kurosaki," Hitsugaya responded with a smirk.

"How many times have I told you to not call me that?" Karin cried in dismay.

"Well, just score the next goal, and I'll have to call you by your first name," Hitsugaya responded cooly. Suddenly, he started running towards the soccer ball between him and Karin and started dribbling it towards Karin's goal. Karin gasped at the sudden movement and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey! Who said we were starting yet?" she cried out angrily.

Hitsugaya only threw a smirk over his shoulder as he neared the goal and prepared to shoot. With a desperate lunge, Karin managed to somehow intercept the flying ball with her chest and she gained possession of the ball. This time, _she_ was the one to smirk as she started running down the field. Irritated, Hitsugaya sprinted down the field to catch up with her. It had become apparent that Hitsugaya had more speed and stamina, considering how he was an older male. However, Karin had more experience and skill with the ball, and she was slightly more nimble on her feet.

Hitsugaya quickly caught up and tried to steal the ball away from her. Relentlessly, the two players fought for the ball. Countless times, one of them had succeeded and were pulling away to try and shoot, but the other would immediately catch up and intercept the ball.

Karin huffed in annoyance as Hitsugaya managed to stop her ball from entering his goal. "Oh no you don't!" Karin cried out angrily as she saw Hitsugaya preparing to shoot yet again. However, as she moved to stop Hitsugaya from scoring, her sandal strap broke and she twisted her ankle awkwardly.

"Eek!" Karin cried out as she fell. _Oof_. She landed on the cold ground in an uncomfortable position, her bum sticking up like a sore needle.

When Karin looked up, she was horrified to see that there was a ball in _her goal_. "No!" she cried out in an anguished tone.

Hitsugaya had turned around at the sound of her falling, and he was running towards her, with a worried look on his face. _Crap! She's injured. I thought my job as her bodyguard was to protect her and make sure she _didn't_ get injured_, Hitsugaya thought anxiously. "Karin, are you alright?" he cried out. He arrived at her side and immediately started examining her ankle.

"I'm fine! Actually, I'm not! I mean, you scored Toushiro! Argghhh!" she yelled.

Hitsugaya sighed. Leave it to Karin to worry about the outcome of the match, rather than her physical wellbeing. As he examined her ankle, he sighed in relief. It didn't look sprained or broken, only slightly sore and red. However, he doubted she would be able to walk for now, so he picked her up, bridal style.

"T-Toushiro!" Karin cried, her face beat red. "What a-are you doing? Let me down!"

Hitsugaya's face was just as red. "Shut up!" he replied, his voice surprisingly steady. "You obviously can't walk right now, so I'm carrying you back to the palace. It's the least I can do as your bodyguard."

Karin was still somewhat unsure, but she relented. Also, though she wouldn't admit it to anyone else, she felt safe in Toushiro's arms.

* * *

**Hope you liked the second chapter! I personally really liked the end of the chapter, since there was a bit more HitsuKarin interactions there. ;) For those of you who are wondering, Akio (the current head of the Hinamori family) means "bright man". c:**

**I forgot to mention last chapter, but if you have any suggestions at all (ex. certain pairings you want to see. ;) iLuvBleach has already requested IchiRuki, so sorry to all IchiHime fans out there!) please let me know! All suggestions are welcome.**

**Please review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**Sincerely, **

**abyss-of-lights**


	3. memories of the moon

**Chapter 3 is up! Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapters, and I hope you enjoy this one. (: **

**Yaay~ A bit of IchiRuki goodness,**** as promised to iLuvBleach! I hope it satisfies you, at least for now. Their interactions are always really amusing to write. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach! I do not!**

* * *

Karin woke up the next morning as sunlight streamed in through the windows, onto her face. She blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to get used to the sudden brightness. Karin lazily brought a hand up to her face to stifle a yawn, and she tried to sit up in her bed. Only when Karin failed to lift herself up did she realize that there was something lying on her chest, weighing down on her. Confused, Karin brought a hand to her chest to find what was there; her hand was met with something soft. She looked down and gasped, immediately turning beat red.

Hitsugaya Toushiro was sleeping with his head on her chest.

Karin's hand had met with Hitsugaya's soft, white hair. She smiled slightly at the thought, and started playing around with Hitsugaya's white mane. It was slightly messy (even more so than usual) from the night, but she found that it only made him even more attractive. The thought made Karin blush some more and she stopped ruffling his hair. Karin continued to blush as she realized that she could feel Hitsugaya's soft and warm breathing through the thin blanket that covered her.

Karin gently lifted up Hitsugaya's head from her chest and laid it on her lap instead. Karin then proceeded to slowly sit up. As Karin sat up, she tried to remember the previous night's events. _Oh yeah...I had hurt my ankle,_ she recalled. Hitsugaya had carried her all the way back to the palace afterwards, to her room. He left her room briefly to allow herself to change into sleeping clothes before returning with some food for her to eat. After all, Karin's stomach had been grumbling and moaning the entire way back to the palace (much to Karin's embarrassment and Hitsugaya's amusement). Karin had changed into a modest sleeping gown (in comparison to the initial skimpy nightdress that Hitsugaya had first seen her in). It was rather simple, with a light lavender colour and a few intricate embroideries near the neckline. The bell sleeves reached past her elbows, and the dress ended right below her knees.

When Hitsugaya returned to the room, he found Karin already in bed, staring out one of the many large windows in her room. She was stargazing, something which she did every night. Hitsugaya quietly walked in the room, his feet gently padding the soft carpet ground. He arrived beside her bed and placed a tray with a generous serving of salmon, bread and cheese. Karin started eating, while continuing to stargaze. Hitsugaya himself also looked out the window, and marvelled at the beauty of the scene before him. The night sky was a velvety black colour, with specks of shining white stars. The moon shone brightly behind a few clouds, and its light penetrated Karin's room. The soft glow landed on her bed, barely skimming over her hand.

"Thank you Toushiro," Karin murmured once she finished eating.

Hitsugaya shrugged in response, but his eyes softened slightly. Karin didn't miss the look on his face, and she smiled warmly in response.

Karin placed the tray on the bedside table and lay down, preparing to sleep. She looked at Hitsugaya expectantly. "Do you have a glass of water? I'd hate to sleep with this taste in my mouth," she informed him.

Hitsugaya begrudgingly ran to retrieve a glass of water for her, leaving Karin alone in her room to stargaze some more. When he returned this time, she was lost in her thoughts. Karin gazed out the window with a faraway look in her eyes that sent a shiver down Hitsugaya's back. She felt so..._distant_ when she was like this.

"Kurosaki?" he asked softly.

Karin's head snapped towards Hitsugaya, and she gratefully reached for the glass of water. "Thanks Toushiro."

"Are...you ok?" Hitsugaya asked, a worried look in his eyes.

Karin's eyes widened in surprise before she started smiling remorsefully. "Yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking about my mother."

"Your mother...? If my sources are as reliable as I think them to be, would I be correct in saying that she's passed on?" he asked cautiously, fearing about treading on such a delicate topic.

Karin nodded slowly.

"Do you...want to talk about it?"

Surprised, Karin opened her mouth to say no, only to find that her mouth had other plans.

"Well...Sometimes, I do want to talk to someone about it. I originally thought of turning to my family, right? Well, they are the most obvious choice. But I couldn't do it. Despite how it seems like they've all moved on, it's just a facade. They're all still recovering like me. Oyaji is still blaming himself for not being there for her. Ichi-nii is also blaming himself, especially since he was there. And Yuzu...Well, Yuzu was always sweet and somewhat sensitive, so the death of our mother really impacted her. I can't burden them with my own feelings. I just can't do it," Karin whispered, tears starting to form in her eyes. Karin gasped slightly; she hadn't cried since she was 5, not even when she found out about her mother's death. Yet, here she was, tears streaming down her face, in front of Hitsugaya, her bodyguard.

Karin wanted to stop, but now that she started, she couldn't stop. "And sometimes, at night, right before I sleep, I think of her. I think about how kind and beautiful and wonderful she was, and just how much I miss her. I just miss her so much, you know? Because, she was the center of our family. She was like our sun. And now she's gone, and everything just went pitch black. She didn't deserve to die. She was such an amazing person, she couldn't possibly deserve to die. It shouldn't have happened to her," Karin sputtered, tearing freely flowing down her face now.

Hitsugaya just sat across from her, his eyes pained but understanding. He had never had any of his relatives pass on, so he couldn't imagine the pain that Karin was feeling. But he vowed that he would listen, and help her as much as possible. Like she had said, she couldn't talk to her family about this, so he was the only who would listen to her.

"Before, when I was a child, my mother would read bedtime stories to me. Me and Yuzu. She would always read them when the moon came out, and the light shone brightly on her hair. The moonlight made her look almost angelic. That's...that's my favourite childhood memory. Listening to my mother's voice, telling us about the magnificent and incredible tale of princesses, princes, dragons, and other creatures. She would tell us about battles, about friendship, family, about love." Here, Karin paused slightly, drawing in a breath. "That's why I'm always reminded of my mother at this time. I always stargaze at this time, trying to remember happier times. Sometimes, I even feel as if I can feel her hand gently stroking my hair." Karin's breathing hitched slightly as she started sobbing quietly.

Hitsugaya could feel his own ice heart warming slightly at the words of the Kurosaki girl. His heart flew out to the strong, independent woman in front of him and he admired her. He admired how despite how much hurt and pain she was in, she was always optimistic, always trying to look forward. So when she showed him her weak side, he felt touched. The fact that she trusted in him, enough to confess such private thoughts and feelings that even her family didn't know about, made him feel as if he was important to her. That's why, at the sight of Karin sobbing, Hitsugaya stiffened. This wasn't supposed to happen. Someone like Kurosaki Karin was not meant to cry like this. Unable to bear seeing Karin sobbing, Hitsugaya subconsciously pulled her body towards his, hugging her gently. He patted her on the back, whispering encouraging words in a comforting tone. "...It's alright to cry. Let it all out," Hitsugaya whispered, causing Karin to shudder.

Karin nodded, while continuing to sob. Karin's arms shakily went around his broad back, and she clutched his top. Her face nestled into Hitsugaya's chest, and her salty tears caused his already sweaty white top to become even more wet.

Hitsugaya's strong arms comfortingly held Karin, holding her close to him. Neither noticed the redness of the other's face.

After a few moments, Karin's breathing steadied, and she detached herself from Hitsugaya hastily. Wiping away her tears sloppily, she nervously smiled at Hitsugaya. "Well..it's getting late. I think I'll be sleeping now," she said in a mellow tone.

Hitsugaya nodded.

"You can go back to your room if you want. You don't have to watch over me. I'm perfectly fine."

Hitsugaya mumbled something incoherent, but it was enough to peak Karin's interest. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"...I want to watch you sleep," he mumbled under his breath, face becoming increasingly red.

Shocked, Karin quickly recovered before grinning. "Wow, never thought of you as a pervert Toushiro!"

"S-shut up!" Hitsugaya responded angrily. Scowling, he stomped away from her bed to grab a chair. Hitsugaya pulled it up beside Karin's bed, and he sat down with a _plomp_. His head turned away from Karin, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing how flustered he was.

Still grinning, Karin lay down to sleep. As she drifted off, there was a gentle smile on her face.

* * *

Karin quietly slipped out of bed, only to fall to the floor with a loud crash.

"Ouch!"

Startled, Hitsugaya's head shot up. "Kurosaki?" he asked in alarm.

He whipped his head back towards the sound, to see Karin sprawled out on the ground behind him.

"Kurosaki?! What are you doing?" he cried out in an anguished tone.

"Well, I was trying to get out of bed without waking you up," she stated in a crossed manner. "Which, for your information, was rather difficult. After all, you were practically _sleeping on me_," Karin stated with a teasing grin, causing Hitsugaya to blush slightly. "Anyways, my ankle's still slightly sore, so I misjudged and _bam! _Down I went!" she exclaimed with extravagant hand waving._  
_

Shaking his head, Hitsugaya moved to help her off the ground. "Be more careful, will you?"

Karin brushed him off, not needing him to worry about her so much. "I'll be fine, no need to freak out."

Hitsugaya frowned, but let it slide. He wasn't in a mood to get in an argument with Karin so early in the morning. With a sigh, Hitsugaya stretched his limbs, somewhat stiff from his uncomfortable night in a chair. He let his thoughts drift to the previous night, and he smiled a small smile. He hoped that Karin felt somewhat better now. After all, keeping such feelings bottled up inside surely wasn't healthy. Though he felt foolish for acting so impulsively as to hug her, he was secretly (and guiltily) glad. Holding her in his arms felt better than he imagined. Hitsugaya blinked a few times, and mentally slapped himself. He shouldn't be having this kind of feeling for her; he was her bodyguard, nothing more, nothing less!

Meanwhile, Karin was still thinking over the previous night as well. Though she truly felt Hitsugaya a comforting prescence, she couldn't say that she wasn't embarrassed. She had spilt her heart out to Hitsugaya, and she had barely known him for a week. Not to mention that she had sobbed! She, Kurosaki Karin, had sobbed! _Unacceptable_, Karin thought bitterly. _Though...maybe it's alright to cry every once in a while_, she pondered. After all, she felt as if her heart was lighter. It was like she had finally let go of an incredibly heavy burden.

_'"...It's alright to cry. Let it out," Hitsugaya whispered into Karin's ear, causing her to shudder.'_

The memory caused Karin to blush a bit, but she couldn't deny that with just those few words, he had managed to make her feel a million times better.

* * *

"Ichi-nii! You still haven't met our bodyguards yet officially, have you?" Karin cried out joyfully as her brother hugged her and Yuzu.

Ichigo looked at her curiously before nodding slowly. "Why do you sound so happy about these bodyguards? I thought you were totally dead set against not having on of those."

Karin looked slightly sheepish as she answered him. "Yeah well, I changed my mind. Problem?"

Ichigo chuckled before ruffling up Karin's raven hair. "This just goes to show that you should listen to what I say more," he teased.

Karin swatted away Ichigo's hand with a glare.

Yuzu immediately stepped between the two siblings, and attempted to calm Karin down. "It's fine Karin-chan. We haven't seen Ichi-nii in weeks because of the war! We shouldn't be fighting within minutes of finally seeing each other!" Yuzu said in a worried tone.

Karin grinned at her twin, before patting her on the head. "No worries Yuzu. Come on, let's introduce Toushiro and Hanataro!" she said, running off towards the dining room, where the two bodyguards were currently eating dinner.

Karin and Yuzu had been in the middle of their last meal of the day when a maid had entered, informing them that Ichigo wished to see them. Ichigo and Isshin had been extremely busy the past few weeks, planning and monitoring the progress of the war. They had been continuously on and off the battlefield, fighting enemies and leading troops. Luckily, they had yet to be gravely injured in battle. Tonight, Ichigo was able to take a small break from the war, and he was insistent on seeing his two baby sisters on the occasion. It had been far too long since the last time they had hung out, in Ichigo's opinion.

As Karin led the way to the dining room, Ichigo couldn't help but notice that his sisters seemed to be...happier. Karin's voice was lighter and her eyes sparkled with something new. Yuzu was as pleasant as always, but her smiles didn't seem as fake as they had been since their mother's incident. Ichigo smiled at the sight of his cheerful sisters. _Looks like getting them bodyguards was the right decision_.

"Toushiro! Hanataro! Look here, Ichi-nii came to say hi!" Karin exclaimed as she burst through the dining room's door. Hanataro winced slightly, still somewhat unused to Karin's loud behaviour. Hitsugaya merely raised a snowy eyebrow.

"Yo," Ichigo said casually as he strode in the room. Hanataro scampered to his feet to bow deeply, while Hitsugaya stood up solidly, taking a light bow. Ichigo looked amused at their actions. "You don't have to do that you know. Formality is all just useless crap," he said, causing Karin to roll her eyes and Yuzu to _huff_ a little in disapproval.

"What did you just say, baka?!" a fierce voice cried out as a hand smacked Ichigo on the head.

"Ow! The hell!" Ichigo cried out in pain.

"Hmph! You should just be glad that nii-sama isn't here," the voice called out again. A person stepped out from behind Ichigo, revealing a petite woman with jet-black hair (was she hiding behind Ichigo the whole time? Karin would never know).

"Rukia, we both know that's just because Byakuya has a stick up his a - Ow! THE HELL RUKIA!"

"Don't insult nii-sama! Unlike you, he's handsome, and strong, and noble, and NOT A FREAKING BAKA LIKE YOU!"

Their argument quickly escalated, causing its onlookers to watch in amusement.

"Uh..Ichi-nii, care to introduce?" Karin interrupted breezily, just as Ichigo was about to make a remark about Rukia's comment on him being "as dense as a block of wood".

"Oh! Uh, that's right...This is Kuchiki Rukia," Ichigo mumbled sheepishly, a hand scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hai! Nice to meet you all!" the woman answered, her expression quickly changing from enraged to sweet and pleasant. "Please call me Rukia, and I look forward to being in your care!"

"Kurosaki Karin, and this is my twin sister Yuzu," Karin answered easily. "Nice to meet you."

"Wow, this is exciting! Welcome to our home," Yuzu said sweetly.

"So...are you in a relationship or something?" Karin teased with a smirk.

Both Ichigo and Rukia immediately turned red at the comment.

"W-well, uh..I suppose we are..."

"A-absolutely not, no way in hell!"

Karin looked amused, while Yuzu's face easily revealed how confused she was. Hanataro was fidgeting extremely nervously, and Hitsugaya looked rather indifferent to it all.

"Care to clarify?" Karin asked.

"Shut up Rukia! Like I said, we a-"

"No! We're not! There's no way I would date a baka like this!" Rukia butted in, while smacking Ichigo on the head.

"Rukia! The hell! WE JUST AGREED ON THIS YESTERDAY NIGHT! We are officially in a relationship! Byakuya even gave us his blessings!"

The two continued to quarrel for a bit, causing Karin to sigh and Yuzu to pout slightly.

"Whatever. Let us know when you guys are done. We're gonna just go ahead and eat without you, alright?" Karin said as she stuffed a piece of lamb into her mouth. She started chatting with Hitsugaya about various soccer techniques they could practice, while Yuzu and Hanataro entered a conversation about their favourite dessert.

After a few minutes, both Ichigo and Rukia _finally_ sat down on the table. Both were clearly ruffled up, and still grumpy.

"So, what's your deal?" Karin asked, yet again.

Rukia answered first. "Well, I suppose we are in a relationship," she mumbled. "B-but! It's not like I asked him! He asked me first!" she said quickly, not wanting anyone to misunderstand. Ichigo rolled his eyes at this comment.

"You still agreed though," he grumbled.

"Not the point! Anyways, we met because of my brother," Rukia continued, as if there was no interruption. "My brother is one of the more powerful mages from Seireitei and he and Ichigo have worked together many times already. One day, nii-sama brought Ichigo home. Ichigo started visiting more and more often, so.." she trailed off.

The others nodded, already clearly understanding.

"Anyways. Ichigo is planning on wedding me soon..." Rukia continued shyly and quietly.

The others gaped, while Ichigo turned red. "I thought you two just got in a relationship?" Karin questioned.

"Well, we just got in an _official_ relationship," Rukia stuttered, "But I think this has been a long time coming."

"Wait. Back up a bit. When did this start?"

"Around a year ago I suppose," Ichigo answered thoughtfully.

This time, it was Karin who hit Ichigo on the head. "Ichi-nii! A whole year! And you didn't bother to tell us?!" Karin cried out in anger.

"N-no! It isn't like that! I just forgot!"

Rukia chuckled a bit, before continuing with her tale. "Anyways, since we're wedding soon, nii-sama wanted me to move in with him. So I'll be staying with you guys from now on!" Rukia ended cheerfully. "Like I said before, please take care of me!"

Yuzu bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically. "Sure! We can give you a tour of the palace tomorrow Rukia-nee!"

Rukia smiled at the fair-headed girl. "Sounds good."

Ichigo scratched his head before speaking. "Well, that's that. Would you guys like to introduce me to these two bodyguards now?"

Yuzu gasped. "Of course! I can't believe we forgot!"

Karin just snorted. "Took you long enough to remember," she grumbled under her breath. "Anyways," she continued brightly. "This shorty here is Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Hitsugaya scowled. "How many times have I told you NOT to call me short? I'm taller than you!"

"Whatever," Karin smirked. "He's my bodyguard, and I believe he's your age Ichi-nii. We've become soccer buddies," she added as an afterthought.

"And this here is Hanataro-san! He's my bodyguard, and he's the sweetest guy ever!" Yuzu said bubbly, causing Hanataro to blush.

Ichigo studied the two bodyguards before nodding in approval. "Doesn't look like you guys would try and take advantage of my sisters," he mumbled. "Alright. I give you guys my consent to take care of my sisters. Don't hurt them in any way, or else..." he finished with a glare that would send many cowering in their boots. Hanataro was one of the many as he gulped nervously and bobbed his head up and down vigorously, showing his understanding. Yuzu giggled. Meanwhile, Hitsugaya simply nodded slightly, not at all intimidated. Karin smiled at Hitsugaya's reaction, having expected that.

* * *

Sometime after dinner, Rukia caught up to the two twins.

After looking around to make sure nobody was near, Rukia started whispering. "If you guys ever need help with your love lives..." she said with a mysterious gleam in her eye. "I'm always here! After all, those two bodyguards both seem to have a thing for you two," she finished with a wink.

"Rukia-nee!" Yuzu cried out, clearly flustered.

"W-what are you saying?" Karin grumbled, immediately turning red. "They're just bodyguards!"

Rukia smiled a knowing smile, and ruffled up their hair.

"Well, good night girls! I look forward to tomorrow's tour!"

* * *

**End of chapter 3! :D Hope you guys enjoyed it. Writing Rukia's character is actually so much fun. ;D**

**Please please please please review! I'll love you 5ever!**

**~ abyss-of-lights**


	4. contention

**Hello everyone! Thanks for waiting for the fourth chapter. :)**

**Please enjoy, _and review afterwards!_**

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach and its characters. I own the plot I guess?**

* * *

"And this here is the garden," Karin carelessly introduced, her arm sweeping in a large messy arc. "And that's that. This tour is finished."

Rukia chuckled at Karin's carefree attitude. "Thanks you guys," she said sweetly to Yuzu and Karin. Yuzu beamed while Karin tried to suppress her grin. "This place is actually amazing. I look forward to living with you guys!"

Hitsugaya and Hanataro were off to the side, sitting on a bench. They were gazing at the garden, which was enormous. It was October, so the flowers and trees were starting to wither away. However, that didn't stop the garden from looking magnificent. There were massive coniferous trees lining the edge of the garden, surrounding the center. The center was a masterpiece; there were slight rolling hills of fresh grass with a few vividly coloured flowers which hadn't died out yet. There was a stone fountain in the middle, and it was beautifully carved. The water flowed and gurgled quietly while the sun's rays landed on it. Hitsugaya was sure that the garden would look even more amazing in the spring and summer.

Lost in his thoughts, Hitsugaya didn't notice Karin approaching him until she practically sat down on him.

"Toushiro! You look so glum and bored. Wanna do something fun?" she asked cheerfully. Hitsugaya sighed slightly before smirking.

"I think you're forgetting something Kurosaki. I'm the one who won our last soccer game, remember? And if my memory doesn't fail me, that means you have to do whatever I tell you to for the rest of the week," he said with a glint in his turquoise eyes.

"I told you to stop calling me Kurosaki!" Karin snapped back immediately. "And!" Karin stopped, not sure what to say in response to her losing the bet. "Well...I don't wanna!"

Hitsugaya chuckled lightly. "That's such a lame excuse. And don't you think that I should be telling you to do, not the other way around?"

Karin glowered at him, gray eyes flashing dangerously.

"Oi, get a room!" Rukia whistled teasingly.

"Don't get involved Rukia-nee!" Karin cried in displeasure. Hitsugaya reddened at the remark.

"I wasn't kidding when I said that I'd help you with your love life. You guys have really good chemistry!"

"RUKIA-NEE!"

Hitsugaya sighed, not wanting to get involved in a catfight.

"Karin-chan sure is lively, huh?" Yuzu asked in an amused tone.

"She sure is..." he muttered. "She's going to drive me nuts someday with all that energy."

Yuzu smiled knowingly.

* * *

It happened three days after Rukia's arrival.

The five of them - Karin, Hitsugaya, Yuzu, Hanataro, and Rukia - were out in the garden again, simply enjoying each other's company. They had been doing various activities; Hitsugaya was _attempting_ to teach Karin how to play chess, Rukia was doodling some bunnies (?), and Yuzu and Hanataro were picking flowers.

A loud crash resonated through the garden as the large brick wall surrounding it was suddenly knocked over. Multiple trees were knocked down due to the explosion, and a whole row of flowers had been taken out. As the smoke cleared, four figures stepped into the garden. One was tall and busty with messy short blonde hair, tanned skin, and green eyes. Her hair was tied in three braided locks, and her short jacket (which barely covered her assets) covered half her face. Her three accomplices followed behind her, and each had their own unique appearance. One was slender with long olive-green hair, and lavender-coloured eyes. Another had a toned body, dark skin, thick, wavy black hair, and green eyes. The last one had the most striking appearance; she was pale, with one icy blue eye and one amber eye. Her jaw-length black hair waved around in the air as debris flew around her.

Hitsugaya and Hanataro had leapt up immediately, and had gone into a defensive position (after all, they were professionally trained bodyguards).

Yuzu had a fearful look on her face, and Karin was scared that her sister might start crying any second now. Rukia crouched beside Yuzu, a comforting hand wrapped around her shoulders. Her own face was creased with animosity at the intruders. Karin stood proudly, glaring at the four women.

"And who might you be?" Hitsugaya asked cooly, his turquoise eyes glaring sharply at the intruders.

"You need not know," the blonde replied, equally cooly (she appeared to be the leader). With a flash, the woman disappeared, leaving her three accomplices behind. Bewildered, Karin spun around, attempting to figure out where the woman had gone.

"Kurosaki! Behind you!" Hitsugaya cried out in alarm, as he realized far too late where the woman was.

As Karin spun around, her mouth opened in a silent shriek as the blonde woman approached her rapidly. Bracing herself for the worst, Karin squeezed her eyes shut. A moment passed, and Karin opened her eyes slowly, only for them to widen in shock and despair.

"Yuzu!" Karin cried out anxiously. Yuzu, who had been behind her earlier, now lay in front of her in a bloody mess. _Did she jump in front of me to save me...?_ Karin wondered vaguely. "No! Why did you do that, you fool?!" she yelled, angry tears in her eyes.

Yuzu turned her head painfully, before flashing a smile. "It's alright Karin-chan. It doesn't hurt that much. As long as you're safe, I'm glad..." she trailed off, speaking proving too difficult for her at the moment.

"Please move aside Kurosaki-sama," Hanataro interrupted as he quickly moved to Karin and Yuzu. "Rukia-sama," he added, "Please go assist Hitsugaya-san." His head jerked in Hitsugaya's direction; he was currently engaging in a battle with the blonde woman, and her accomplices seemed rather restless. With a nod, Rukia left and Hanataro returned his attention to Yuzu. Leaning closer for to investigate, he moved his hands around to see how badly she was injured. After a bit of prodding, he let out a breath and turned to Karin. "Kurosaki-sama, she is not in any immediate danger. I will immediately administer some first aid treatment. She was cut in her chest with what appeared to be a blade, but the cut was not deep due to the angle."

Karin nodded, face pale as Hanataro's own nervous face filled with concentration. Taking a deep breath, Hanataro willed himself to calm down. With a few incoherent mutterings, his hands turned a pale blue. Moving closer to Yuzu, he placed his hands over her chest and let the glow enter Yuzu's body. Slowly, the cut started healing itself and the skin patched itself up. The blood stopped flowing, and Yuzu's eyes fluttered open.

"Hanataro-san, is that you?" she asked in a breathless voice, her face scrunched up with pain.

"Yes, Kurosaki-san. It is me. Don't worry. I have healed your wound for the time being, and there is no immediate harm," he replied in a gentle voice, face still filled with fear.

Yuzu smiled gratefully before turning to Karin. "Karin-chan...I just want you to know it's not your fault. I jumped in on my own accord."

Karin nodded wordlessly, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She turned away abruptly, and allowed Hanataro and her sister to have a moment in private.

She rushed over to Hitsugaya and Rukia, who were currently fighting a 4 on 2 battle. Hitsugaya's face was roughed up; he had two scratches on his right cheek, and one on his forehead. His eyes were burning with anger and hatred as he angrily swung some ice at the blonde woman's neck. The woman dodged with unexpected grace before stepping forward to incapacitate Hitsugaya during his moment of weakness. Her hands formed a blade of water which she used to attempt to pierce Hitsugaya's neck. Face remaining calm, Hitsugaya quickly constructed an icicle to meet with her blade, and with a _clang_, the two flew away from each other.

_So that woman is a water mage_, Karin thought. _She must have used a blade of water to cut Yuzu..._

Rukia was currently fighting with the woman's three followers. The three charged at her in unison, taking full advantage of their larger number. With expertise and grace, Rukia jumped up and avoided all three's attacks. She landed on her knee, eyes icy and cold. _"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."_

A light blue haze seeped out of Rukia's body as she moved toward the olive-haired one with more speed than earlier.

_"First Dance, White Moon."_

With a wave of her hand, a circle was drawn around the olive-haired woman, and the ground started to shimmer. Unexpectedly, a pillar of ice shot up from the ground, freezing the unfortunate woman.

"Sun-sun!" two anguished voices called out in unison. "You bitch!"

"How dare you do that to Sun-sun?!" the woman with multi-coloured eyes shrieked. With a hard glare, both her and her partner called out.

_"Thrust, Cierva!"_

_"Devour, Leona!"_

The outfits of the two women changed. The pale one became covered in brown fur, and she grew deer-like antlers above her brow. Her feet were replaced with deer-like hooves and a small tail emerged. Oddly, both her eyes changed to amber. The tanned one had donned a rather revealing armour outfit. She two claws holding her breasts, an armored thong, an armor-like neck garment, and a pair of boots that went all the way up to her upper thigh. She had also gained a long lion mane.

Karin watched the whole exchange with both fear and interest. She had never known that Rukia-nee was a mage! What shocked her even more though was that the four intruders appeared to be dark mages. Dark mages were extremely rare, as they borrowed magic from the _other_ world. When a mage wished to use powerful magic from their spirits, they would call out a special phrase to activate the magic. However, when a dark mage activated their magic, power from the _other_ world would be used and the mage's appearance would change; this was known as _ressurecion_. Though this would often prove to provide more power (it could even help heal minor injuries), dark mages were known to end up empty inside as a result. In the end, the darkness would consume the mage's soul.

"Stop it you two. Are you _trying_ to disgrace Harribel-sama?" a cold voice asked.

Karin and Rukia turned in shock as the pillar of ice shattered, revealing the olive-haired girl to be unscathed. Rather, it seems that she had healed herself, as she now stood in her _ressurecion_ as well. Her body now resembled that of a snake's, as a slender anaconda's tail extended from the stomach down.

"Shit," Karin hissed under her breath. She desperately wanted to fight alongside Rukia and Hitsugaya, but she had no power whatsoever.

Suddenly, the blonde woman (who Karin guessed was "Harribel-sama") landed besided her three minions, with Hitsugaya quickly joining the fray.

"Sun-sun, Appaci, Mila Rose. Ready to go full out?" she asked in a hollow voice.

"Of course!" the raven-haired and tan-skinned dark mages cried out (Karin assumed they were Appaci and Mila Rose, as the olive-haired girl appeared to be Sun-sun).

According to what Karin had seen and heard so far, Harribel was the strongest of the four dark mages; she knew this because her spirit's magic power was flowing out like crazy. Also, the other three were obviously looking up to her as a leader. Looking at Hitsugaya, Karin concluded that her bodyguard was probably extremely powerful and skilled, as he had held his own against the blonde woman. A feeling of pride and admiration seeped into Karin as she looked at Hitsugaya rather fondly. Shaking her head, she turned back to the current situation at hand. Though it was now 3 on 4, Karin could probably provide absolutely no help at all.

_What can I do?_

"Kurosaki. Leave," a cold voice penetrated her thoughts.

"What? Toushiro, the hell are you suggesting?! There's no way I'm leaving!" Karin called out furiously.

Hitsugaya turned to face her with an icy glare. "Kurosaki. _Now.__"_

"No," Karin responded stubbornly, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "Absolutely not."_  
_

"You lost the bet Kurosaki. Do what I say."

Karin opened her mouth to retort when a large wave of magical power suddenly swept her off her feet. Looking up, she saw that Harribel was seemingly gathering up her power.

_"Destroy, Tiburon."_

"Karin! Leave now!" Hitsugaya's frantic voice cried out.

Shocked that he had called her by her first name, Karin reluctantly agreed and ran off toward the area where her sister and Hanataro had hidden earlier.

"Tell Hanataro-san that he needs to escort you and your sister somewhere safe," Rukia called over her shoulder as Karin ran away. She then turned back to face four dark mages in their _ressurecion. _This was going to get tricky.

"Let's do this, Hitsugaya-san."

Hitsugaya nodded curtly, before gathering up his own magical power. _"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyourinmaru!"_

* * *

"Hanataro, what are you doing?" Karin asked curiously.

"Well, I'm gathering up my magical power. I'm a wizard, unlike Hitsugaya-san. Also, rather than specializing in attacking, I'm more useful when it comes to being defensive. I'm especially competent at healing magic and barrier magic," Hanataro explained patiently. His face was no longer pale and worried, as Yuzu had quickly made a recovery. After all, as he said so himself, his healing magic worked quickly and effectively.

"Hanataro-san sure is amazing!" Yuzu said gleefully. "I think he's currently constructing a barrier to hide our presences from the intruders. But Hitsugaya-kun and Rukia-nee will still be able to sense where we are."

Karin nodded in understanding, as worry shadowed her pretty face. She couldn't believe herself. She had run away! She had left her friends to deal with four ridiculously powerful dark mages, and here she was, hiding in safety. She cursed in her mind. Oh, how she loathed herself at the moment.

"It's alright Kurosaki-sama. Hitsugaya-san is an extremely powerful mage, and I believe that Rukia-sama is as well," he said reassuringly.

* * *

Hitsugaya wiped at his brow to prevent sweat from entering his eyes. Breathing heavily, he stood in a ready position. Jade eyes glared at the blonde woman who stood in front of him. She had transformed into her _ressurecion_, which was extremely revealing, even more than Mila Rose's. She had a collar that barely covered her assets, with two ribbon-like protrusions on her back, similar to shark fins. A thin, spine-like structure also formed on her stomach, and she wore a mini-skirt consisting of bones. A pair of knee-length boots covered her legs and she wore elbow-length gloves as well. She lost her three braids, making her hair become messy. Despite the awkward outfit though, he couldn't deny that her power had literally increased tenfold. She was many times faster, and her water attacks had much more force behind her now.

His thoughts were interrupted as a powerful stream of water hit him square in the chest. He flew backwards and crashed into the stone fountain. Shakily trying to stand up from the impact, Hitsugaya noticed that the fountain was cracked into pieces of debris. One piece of the fountain caught his attention; it had a carving a a young boy with spiky hair and a dragon beside him. _How odd_, he thought. _That boy looks like me. And that dragon...isn't that Hyourinmaru?_

Hyourinmaru was the spirit which resided in his body. He was a large icy dragon with shocking red eyes. He was one of the strongest ice spirits in the realm of mages. Taking a deep breath, Hitsugaya redirected his attention to the battle before him. He could worry about the fountain later.

_Hyourinmaru...please lend me your power._

More magical power surrounded Hitsugaya as he quickly sped towards Harribel. As a turquoise haze seeped through his body, the ground began to freeze over rapidly. With a flick of his wrist, a stream of ice shot out of his hand towards Harribel.

Noticing the ice, Harribel stuck out her hand. When the ice made contact with her outstretched hand, the ice melted in a stream of water which she sent flying at Hitsugaya.

Gritting his teeth, Hitsugaya simply dodged the attack. _This is going nowhere_, he thought to himself. The two mages had similar magic, so neither could harm the other. He was going to have to be tricky. He quickly flew over to Harribel while covering the ground with ice. When he reached her, a pillar of ice grew from beneath her, freezing her feet. With a hiss, the ice became a puddle of water which started to form the shape of a shark. Hitsugaya smirked. With a wave of his arm, a giant ice dragon formed out of nowhere to attack the shark head on. While Harribel was concentrating on the dragon, Hitsugaya quickly snuck behind her. Constructing an ice dagger, he stabbed Harribel from behind.

Blood spurted out from the wound in Harribel's back as she hunched over in pain.

"This is the end, Harribel," Hitsugaya said coldly.

Just as he was about to completely freeze the woman, a stream of ice flew towards them and exploded. Rukia appeared where the ice had struck the ground, panting hard. Her hair was a mess and she held her left arm at an awkward angle. Suddenly, Harribel slipped away from Hitsugaya and landed beside her three accomplices who had followed Rukia.

"We're leaving," Harribel said to the three women behind her.

"Wait! Who are you, and what do you want?" Hitsugaya called out.

Harribel smirked slightly before turning away and disappearing.

"This isn't over!" Appaci called out as she, Sun-sun, and Mila Rose disappeared as well.

* * *

Hitsugaya winced as Karin bandaged the wound on his back (which had resulted from him slamming into the fountain). The cut wasn't deep and frankly didn't require any magic to heal. It still hurt though.

"Is Rukia-nee going to be ok?" Karin asked quietly. Though it had only been 3 days since she had gotten to know Rukia, she already felt as if they were sisters.

When Hitsugaya and Rukia had come limping towards the waiting Karin, Yuzu, and Hanataro, Karin had gasped in shock. Hitsugaya wasn't injured too badly, but his back was a bloody mess. The real problem was with Rukia. She had been battling three dark mages at the same time. It didn't matter that they weren't as strong as Harribel; they were still strong enough to easily take out an entire army of humans. Rukia had ended up with a broken left arm, and her face had a nasty gash on its right side. Her clothing was ripped and bloody, and she was barely conscious. Karin winced in horror at the nasty look of her stomach; it basically literally had a hole in it. Hanataro immediately performed some emergency healing magic on her, and he had managed to save her from a major crisis.

"She'll be fine Kurosaki," Hitsugaya replied assuringly. Karin almost frowned; he had called her Karin in the garden. Why couldn't he call her that now, too?

However, Karin chose not to comment on his use of her name, and she simply nodded instead. The two were currently in Hitsugaya's bedroom, with Hitsugaya in his bed, and Karin kneeling on the ground beside him. Yuzu was currently still helping Hanataro with Rukia, so Karin was left to tend to Hitsugaya. Despite what others would think, Karin was quite skilled with bandaging patients. After all, the fact that her brother and father participated in deadly battles everyday meant that she would have to become proficient with bandaging up wounds.

"How's your back feeling?" Karin asked in a rather tender voice.

"It's seen better days," Hitsugaya joked lightly.

Karin chuckled slightly before getting up from the ground. She dusted off the green dress she was wearing and turned to leave.

"Good night Toushir-"

A large hand grabbed her small and dainty one, preventing her from moving farther away from the bed.

"Don't leave," Hitsugaya whispered, interrupting her.

"W-what?" Karin replied, rather flustered and rather red.

"Stay. You have to do what I say, remember? You lost the bet, stupid."

Hesitantly, Karin turned back and kneeled beside his bed again. Her hand was still holding onto Hitsugaya's. She noticed that his hand was large enough to completely envelope her own.

Hitsugaya was currently having a mental battle with himself. He desperately wanted to take advantage of him winning the bet, and to tell her to kiss him. The desire of feeling her lips on his was overpowering. However, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He was her bodyguard. He couldn't take advantage of her that way. Sighing inwardly, he decided to settle on something more innocent. Though he was still technically taking advantage of her, he didn't really care.

"...-side me."

"Sorry, what?" Karin asked, unable to hear his mumbling.

"I said, lie down beside me," Hitsugaya mumbled, face extremely heated. "Hurry up. You have to listen to me, remember?"

Karin smiled lightly before heaving herself off the ground, and joining him on his warm bed. He carefully provided her with half of the blanket, before turning away from her. It was his way of showing respect for her, and he wasn't going to overstep any more boundaries than he already had. Besides, he was content with just being able to feel her warmth beside him.

* * *

**Heehee, I hope you enjoyed the slight fluffiness at the end! I sure did! :]**

**Anyways, my first action scene! Woot woot? I dunno, I hope it was action-y enough for you guys.**

**Why is Hitsugaya carved on a fountain in the Kurosaki palace, hmm? Well, you guys will just have to patiently wait to find out! *sly grin***

**I'll stop by endless ramblings now. Just one last thing; please review? Please? Reviews let me know that people are actually reading and enjoying my story, so they're really appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcome, since it'll help me improve my writing. Or, an encouraging word or two is fine too, since those really make my day. Your thoughts on opinions on the story so far would be great as well.**

**Ok, I'm going to stop now. Have a nice week! ^-^**

**~abyss-of-lights **


	5. covetousness

**Hello everyone! Sorry, I was sorta busy this week, so this isn't a very good chapter. :/**

**I still hope you can enjoy it though! ^.^**

**Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach! :D**

* * *

_...Can you hear me...?_

_Your name..._

_Is Karin, yes?_

_Karin...Kurosaki Karin._

_It's been granted._

_Thank you for your patience._

_I look forward to being with you once again..._

* * *

Karin woke up with a start. She was sweating slightly, and she had kicked the blanket off of her body in the process. As the silver moonlight shone down on her bare legs, she thought about her dream. A strange, melodic and feminine voice had been talking in her dreams a lot lately. In fact, the voice started speaking to her around the time that Hitsugaya came, if she remembered correctly.

_How strange..._

Honestly speaking, the dreams frightened her slightly. It wasn't that the voice was scary or intimidating in any way; rather, the voice was kind, gentle, and caring. No, the dreams terrified her because she didn't understand them at all. She would always be in a strange black world, with nothingness. She and the voice were the only ones there. Oh. And the golden specks of light. There were tiny sparks of brightness that floated around her and the echoing voice, landing on Karin's skin and hair. Though the golden specks sometimes managed to cheer her up, Karin often found herself falling into emptiness, and losing the voice, her only guide in her strange dreams.

Not to mention the fact that the voice always talked cryptically, never allowing Karin to understand it. The voice was never straightforward, and its words made absolutely no sense to her. What was granted? What patience? It's not as if she had been waiting for anything. And, who did the voice belong to anyways?

Shaking her had, Karin decided not to dwell on the strange voice. Instead, she wanted to go back to sleep. After all, it was still the nighttime, if the moonlight was any indication. As she pulled the blanket over her body again, she also pulled her dress down slightly to cover her cold legs. The green dress that she was wearing was nice and simple; it had no frills, no laces, no ribbons, no embroidery, nothing. It was easy to move in, and was anything from elegant. It was rather comfortable to sleep in actually, and it was warm too.

Trying to find a comfortable position, Karin flipped herself over, only to find that there was something in her bed. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was none other than Hitsugaya. Startled, Karin almost jumped out of the bed that they were sharing. She thought back to the evening earlier, and remembered how he had requested for her to sleep with him that night. Well, to be fair, he had asked for her to lie down beside him. Still, they were practically the same thing.

Either way, Hitsugaya was being quite the gentleman. As soon as she had lay down beside him, he had moved slightly away from her to a respectable distance. Though Karin did appreciate his respect, she was also slightly miffed. It was October, so the weather wasn't exactly warm. She wouldn't have minded Hitsugaya cuddling with her or something of the like.

Karin almost hit herself when she thought that. _What a greedy girl I am,_ she thought bitterly. She should've been content with what she had. At the very least, Hitsugaya had survived that horrible battle with Harribel, and had come back relatively unscathed. What more could she possibly ask for?

Tired of thinking, Karin pulled the blanket over to her nose, and let sleep overtake her.

* * *

As Karin awoke again, she noticed that she was much warmer this time around. Blinking slowly, her onyx eyes fluttered open. They quickly widened as she noticed that Hitsugaya was _holding_ her. He was _cuddling_ with her. If she wasn't in such an embarrassing situation, Karin might've laughed at how her wish had been granted.

As she tried to pry her way out of his grasp, his hold on her tightened, and he mumbled slightly in his sleep.

"Don't go..."

Karin started smiling, until she heard the next part of the sentence.

"Momo...Come back to me."

A strange feeling washed over Karin as she instantly pushed Hitsugaya away from herself. The sudden motion caused Hitsugaya to wake up, and he started rubbing his eyes. A yawn escaped his mouth before it abruptly closed.

"K-Kurosaki? Did you stay here the whole night?" he asked in surprise.

Still feeling strange, Karin nodded, eyes averted from his.

"Thank you," he replied with a genuine smile.

Blushing, Karin nodded curtly before standing up stiffly.

"I'm going to go prepare for breakfast. I'll meet you in the dining room."

With that, Karin rushed out of the room quickly, leaving a slightly confused Hitsugaya behind. Thoughts still rumbling when she reached her room, Karin almost tripped when rushing in.

"What's wrong with me...?" she muttered.

She had felt so warm, and so safe when she had woken up to see Hitsugaya holding her. His strong, long arms had wrapped themselves comfortably around her waist, and her face had been practically buried into his warm chest. His chin rested on her raven hair, and their legs were slightly tangled. The thought caused Karin to blush several shades of red, and she buried her face into a pillow. As if that wasn't enough, right afterwards, he had started talking in his sleep about Momo. He was dreaming about Hinamori Momo, his childhood friend whom he had grown up with. The way he had talked...it was as if he was speaking to a lover? He was asking her not to leave him...

The strange feeling overcame Karin again, and she loathed it. The feeling left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she felt like a terrible, horrible, uncivilized person. She felt as if she hated Hinamori Momo.

What was this feeling?

As Karin left her room a few minutes later for breakfast, she realized that the feeling was _jealousy._

* * *

For the rest of the day, Karin attempted to avoid Hitsugaya. After all, she couldn't _possibly_ face him when she realized that she felt jealous because of him. As soon as she finished each meal, she quickly left the dining room, often causing Hitsugaya to stumble out in an attempt to keep track of her. Needless to say, this completely annoyed Hitsugaya, so right before dinner that day, he stopped her before entering the dining room.

Karin had been about to enter, and was irritated when she felt Hitsugaya's large hand clamp around hers. The delicious aroma of beef was seeping out of the dining room, and Karin was eager to eat it. Hitsugaya roughly dragged her down the stone corridor, into an empty study room (there were numerous study rooms located throughout the whole castle).

As soon as they reached their destiantion, Karin gruffly shook her hand out of Hitsugaya's.

"And what the hell do you think you're doing? I'm not sure about you, but some of us are starving!" she snapped at him.

"Excuse me? Who are you to snap at _me_ when you've been avoiding me the _entire_ day?!" Hitsugaya snapped back, eyes glowering at her.

"W-what! I have't been avoiding you!" Karin stammered, surprised that he had realized so quickly.

"My ass!" he responded angrily, completely forgetting about etiquette and manners. The somewhat sheepish look on Karin's face caused him to backtrack immediately. "Is everything alright Kurosaki?"

"O-of course! I don't need someone _babysitting_ me. Plus, in case you forgot, I'm pretty sure I made it perfectly clear on the first day that _I don't need a stupid bodyguard!_"

Being the hot-tempered person that he was, Hitsugaya completely blew up on her. "What! I'm not sure if you noticed, but I think we've been getting along rather well since my arrival!"

"Well, you thought wrong!"

"..."

"Was it because we slept together last night? I am so sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable. That was completely spur of the moment, and it didn't mean anything."

Though Karin would never admit it, the last sentence pierced her heart in an excruciatingly painful way. It meant nothing to him? In the end, he had probably only wanted a presence there to comfort him through his pain.

Fighting back tears, Karin turned away abruptly. "It's not that, dumbass..." she muttered, about to sprint from the room.

As Karin spun away, Hitsugaya briefly saw a glimmer of a liquid in Karin's beautiful onyx eyes. "Kuro- Karin!"

The use of her first name immediately caught her attention, and she stopped. However, she still didn't turn around.

"What is it Toushiro?" she asked quietly.

_Did I make her cry?_ he thought uncomfortably. Hitsugaya hated it. Once again, the oh-so-mighty Kurosaki Karin was crying in his presence. He absolutely detested it.

"Don't cry," he whispered.

"I-I am _not_ crying!" she insisted in a shaky voice.

"Stop it. You're not fooling anyone."

"Look, it's none of your business!"

"Of course it's my business! I'm your bodyguard, and I have to protect you; it's my job!"

Once again, Karin felt as if her heart had shattered. Was that all she was to him? Some stupid girl who he had been assigned to for a job? So, in any other situation, she would be worthless to him.

"Exactly. I'm only your job. I'm a nobody to you anyways. So leave me alone," she said bitterly.

A brief moment of silence passed between the two. Suddenly, Karin heard the last thing she would've expected to hear - Hitsugaya's laughter.

His laugh was deep and lyrical, and Karin couldn't help but think it was sexy. He doubled over as he attempted to stifle his snorts of glee. As he tried to regain his composure, he placed a hand on Karin's shoulder to steady himself.

"A-are you laughing at me?!" Karin cried out in dismay. "That is so rude!"

"O-oh my god," he managed to stutter out in between snorts of laughter. "I-I'm sorry. Ah, my bad, my bad," he finally managed to get out in a somewhat steady tone. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you or anything. It's just that...are you _jealous_ or something?"

Karin turned fifty shades of red as she tried to stutter out an excuse. "W-wha?! N-no, of c-course not you jerk!"

Hitsugaya only smirked in response. "Heh. You _are_ jealous. Wow, I never thought that a masculine girl like you would be able to feel something like jealousy."

"You probably prefer more feminine girls like Hinamori Momo or something!"

Hitsugaya could only stare at Karin in shock. "Are you stupid or something? Being jealous of _Momo_? You know she's in a coma at the moment, right?" Karin turned red at the comment and Hitsugaya continued with a smirk. "Kurosaki, let me explain something to you. You're both important to me in unique ways. And no, not because I'm your bodyguard. So just continue to be yourself, ok?"

Karin could only nod, as she allowed herself to be dragged away to the dining room.

* * *

"Nice to meet you! I'm Abarai Renji!" the redhead introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Hisagi Shuhei," the black-haired man said.

The two tattooed men were both wizards from noble houses of the kingdom of Seireitei. The two were commanding officers in the military, and they had come as part of an investigation involving the recent intrusion of dark mages.

"Hitsugaya-san! Hanataro-san! How're your jobs going?" Renji asked with a grin.

"Hn. Not bad," Hitsugaya replied, while Hanataro shakily nodded his head in agreement.

A meeting was currently being held place in the Kurosakis' castle. Everyone involved in the incident was attending, and various important figures from both kingdoms had travelled miles to attend as well. Among those from Karakura, Inoue Orihime from the legendary Inoue family was likely the most famous. For generations, the Inoue family had been known as one of the most powerful wizard families in history. They had close links with the Kurosaki family, and they had been deeply rooted in the history of Karakura's founding. Their magic often involved rare forms that were powerful and greatly sought after. Orihime's magic was a great example; she had the magic "to reject" events.

Not only was Orihime known for her magic, she was also a great beauty. She had beautiful flowing orange hair, and large, sweet caramel eyes. Her face was angelic and kind, and she had a loving personality.

Other than Orihime, another person from one of the kingdom's oldest noble families had joined them today; Ishida Uryuu. His family had close ties with the Kurosaki family as well, and he, Ichigo, and Orihime had all grown up together. His family was a wizard family as well, and their magic focused on archery.

Isshin sat at the end of the long wooden table in the middle of the meeting room. Ichigo and Rukia sat on his either sides. Ishida was beside Ichigo, and Orihime sat facing him. Karin and Yuzu were beside her, and their two bodyguards were located across from them. The two commanding officers from Seireitei sat opposite each other beside Yuzu and Hanataro. There were currently four empty seats beside them.

Suddenly, a maid burst into the room. "Kurosaki-sama, members of Karakura's Covert Ops unit have arrived," she announced.

Two young adults were quickly ushered in as the door closed behind them. One was a slightly taller male with bright red hair that rivalled Renji's. He had dark black eyes which looked rather angry. His companion was a rather shy-looking female with raven-coloured dark hair. She had odd bangs which parted down the middle of her face and round purple eyes. Both were donned in matching black outfits; the male in a black jacket with golden embroidery, and the female in a blouse with golden lace.

"Sorry for being tardy. I'm Hanakari Jinta, and this is Tsumugiya Ururu. We're members from the kingdom's Covert Ops unit. Our masters, Urahara Kisuke Shihoin Yoruichi, are unable to attend this meeting. Our deepest apologies," the male stated in a gruff voice.

At the entrance of the duo, Yuzu instantly froze up. Her eyes suddenly gained a far-off look, as if she was seeing something else.

"Kurosaki-san?" Hanataro asked in a worried tone. "Are you alright?"

Meanwhile, Karin had leapt up in anger. "You!" she shouted at Jinta while pointing an accusing finger at him. "How dare you show up here!"

Jinta looked away with a strange look on his face. "Shut up, we're here on official business. Don't you know how to act professional?" he muttered.

Ichigo himself looked strained. He glared at Jinta's face with accusing eyes but said nothing.

"Karin, please save that for later," Isshin said firmly. His face was serious and set, clearly not ready to entertain any nonsense at the moment.

Reluctantly, Karin sat down while still glaring at Jinta. Jinta and Ururu slowly made their way to their empty seats. Two seats were still left untouched.

"We are gathered here today to determine what to do next. It would appear that dark mages were recently sent here to attack and cause a disturbance," Isshin stated loudly. "Today's meeting is to best determine our next actions. Allow this meeting to officially commence!"

* * *

**Sorry if that chapter seemed somewhat short. :/**

**Haha, more questions, no answers! :D What's the mysterious voice? ****And what relationship did Yuzu have with Jinta before? ****You'll have to wait for more updates to find out!**

**Once again, sorry for the bad chapter, but I assure you that more action happens in the next chapters, so stay tuned.**

**Please, please, _please_ remember to review afterwards! 3**

**Thanks a bunch. Have a great week guys!**

**~abyss-of-lights**


	6. meetings and discussions

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the late(ish) update. OTL **

**For the Guest reviewer who asked if the golden lights in Karin's dream were a reference to Pandora Hearts... hehe, you're absolutely correct! ;) Pandora Hearts is amazing, so if you haven't already, check it out! ^^**

**Anyways, on to the story! :D Please enjoy, and remember to review!**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tite Kubo!**

* * *

"Ughh...I can finally get out of this stupid dress," Karin muttered grumpily to Hitsugaya as they exited the meeting room. For the meeting, Karin had been forced into wearing something extremely formal, and she _hated_ it. The dress was pink (ew!) with multiple frills and laces, and she had been forced to wear a corset as well. She couldn't breathe, and it was the most uncomfortable thing she had ever worn.

"Well, someone's in a bad mood," Hitsugaya commented somewhat off-handedly.

Karin snorted angrily before responding. "Who can blame me? That meeting was the most boring and useless thing. Plus, I have to wear this dress, and _heels_," she pointed to her feet at this point. "And, Jinta was there. Arrghh, I wanted to snap his neck."

Hitsugaya flinched slightly at the amount of hatred in her melodic voice, but he felt it was justified. After that horrendous meeting, he too felt as if he wanted to snap the man's neck. "What did he do to Yuzu?" he asked cautiously.

"That bastard broke Yuzu's heart! I'll never forgive him, ever!" Karin snarled angrily at Hitsugaya. She immediately covered her mouth, her face slightly horrified. "Ah, sorry Toushiro! I didn't mean to take out my frustration on you," she apologized sheepishly.

"It's alright," Hitsugaya replied. "Besides," he added with a smirk. "I'm used to it. You're such a violent girl."

"Am not!" Karin childishly responded.

Hitsugaya chuckled lightly, before returning to a more serious topic. "Well, we can talk about your sister later. Not to say she isn't important, but that your two's safety is first priority at the moment. And that meeting we just had has established that you're in much more danger than we first thought."

* * *

_"Our suspicions are that those dark mages were sent from Hueco Mundo," Isshin stated loudly and clearly. "After all, dark mages are rare in the other two kingdoms, and they usually don't group together. Those two signs alone are enough to indicate that they're with Aizen."_

_"And how are you sure that Aizen was the one who sent them?" Renji questioned him suspiciously, his brown eyes narrowing. "They could've just been a rogue band of dark mages."_

_"And what dark mages would travel miles across this vast land, specifically aiming for my daughters?" Isshin responded with much more fervor than required._

_"There you go again, making assumptions!" Renji stated. "How do you know they were aiming specifically for you daughters?"_

_"I can testify to that," Hitsugaya spoke up quickly, cutting off Isshin before he could begin speaking again. "As soon as Kurosaki arrived at the scene, the dark mages seemed ready to attack. But after she left, they quickly retreated. I feel this sufficiently proves that they were after Kurosaki."_

_Renji heaved an amused sigh as he scolded Hitsugaya lightly. "Hitsugaya-san, at least use their first names, no? We can't understand which Kurosaki twin you're talking about."_

_"Kurosaki Karin," Hitsugaya quickly clarified._

_The person in question was obviously not quite paying attention to what was happening. Instead, she spent her time glaring daggers at Jinta. The above-mentioned person desperately attempted to avoid eye contact with Karin, and tried (and failed) to concentrate on the meeting instead._

_As the meeting raged on concerning the goal of the mysterious dark mages, the fierceness in Karin's cold glare seemed to intensify, and sweat drops formed on Jinta's forehead. Unable to stand it anymore, Jinta stood up and yelled at Karin._

_"What's your problem! We're having a serious meeting concerning yours and Yuzu's safety, and you don't even have the decency to pay attention?!" he screamed, while pointing a finger at Karin._

_"Excuse me?! Who are you to call Yuzu by her first name?!" Karin cried out immediately, and effectively ignoring the main point of his outburst._

_Jinta opened his mouth to retort angrily, only to be pulled back into his seat by Ururu. The quiet girl raised a finger to mouth and mouthed the word 'shhhh', easily calming Jinta down. _

_This scene only seemed to further distress Yuzu. Ever since Jinta's arrival, she had seemed disturbed. Like her twin, she wasn't really paying attention during the meeting, but the outburst of Jinta and Karin had caused her to drop all pretence of paying attention. She buried her face in her hands and asked to be dismissed. Isshin had a worried look on his aging face, and he nodded curtly at Hanataro to take her somewhere else. Hanataro immediately nodded and led Yuzu away from the room._

_Once the two had left, an awkward silence remained in the room, until Ichigo spoke up. "Well then...back to our previous topic," he said in a slightly shaking voice. The event which had just transpired seemed to make him tremble with anger, but being the heir of the throne, he had long since learned how to control his emotions._

_"We have concluded that the dark mages were most likely sent from Hueco Mundo, and they were after Karin and Yuzu. Let us now decide on what our next steps should be?"_

_"Of course, we need to keep them inside as much as possible," Hitsugaya immediately spoke up. "And I will speak for both myself and on Hanataro-san's behalf - we will protect them with our lives," he said sincerely. _

_Ichigo nodded solemnly and turned to discuss the matter with Orihime and Ishida. As the childhood friends discussed the topic seriously (with Isshin joining in), Karin stretched out her leg under the table and - BAM! - kicked Jinta in the calf._

_"Ow! The hell!"_

_"That's for hurting Yuzu 14 months ago. I never really got a chance to pay you back, since you've been a _wimp_. Since that day, you haven't showed your face here_ once. _You haven't even bothered to offer her an explanation you asshole!"__  
_

_"Silence! Karin, there can be time for that later!" Isshin shouted out frustratedly, irritated that the meeting had been interrupted multiple times._

_Jinta however, continued without even glancing at his kingdom's king. "Y-you! You don't understand what happened, so don't stick your nose in my business! You're the worst princess I've ever seen - you can't even properly behave at an extremely important meeting concerning _your_ safety, and you're selfish too! Plus, you play _soccer_. What princess plays _soccer_? Learn from your sister, and do activities which suit your status more! You're such an ugly brute!"_

_Karin's mouth opened to retort, but nothing came out. Despite being known as being strong and mean, those words hurt. Everything that Jinta had said had been true, and it _bothered_ her. Though she wasn't exactly about to cry, she felt her face flush from anger, embarrassment, and hurt. Narrowing her eyes at the redhead, she glared coldly at him before standing up abruptly. _

_"I'm leaving."_

_"Kurosaki, wait!" Hitsugaya said, grabbing her hand quickly and pulling her back into her seat. "This meeting isn't over yet, and I think you should remain here, as this does concern your future and freedom."_

_Karin nodded meekly while looking at the ground. Satisfied that Karin wasn't leaving, Hitsugaya turned his attention back to Jinta. His eyes were icy cold and merciless._

_"Don't you think you went too far Hanakari-sama? Not only did you insult Kurosaki, you have also ignored the king's command."_

_His voice was steely, and only flaming anger could be seen in those emerald eyes of his._

_Hitsugaya's glare sent shivers down Jinta's back, and he nodded with a gulp._

_"M-my deepest apologies, Kurosaki-sama's."_

_With an angry snort, Hitsugaya turned away from Jinta to face the king. "Isshin-sama, apologies for these multiple interruptions. Let us now resume this meeting with no more hindrances?"_

_A grateful nod was sent to Hitsugaya from Isshin, and the meeting finally resumed in peace._

_Around 50 minutes later, the meeting was finally drawn to an end, and its members were dismissed. The final conclusion of the meeting was that the dark mages mostly likely were sent by Aizen, and to protect the twins, both Karin and Yuzu would be isolated in the Kurosaki castle until further notice. Needless to say, Karin was _not_ pleased._

* * *

"Ugh! I can't believe they won't let me leave this stinking castle!" Karin cried out while throwing her arms up in the air. "Who do they think they are? They think I'm in _so_ much more danger now, just because these four dark mages came. So what's the most reasonable solution? Of course it's to make me a prisoner in my own home!" Karin exclaimed angrily.

Hitsugaya smiled dryly before responding. "They have their reasons. It's to keep you safe after all. We still can't discern their motives, and better safe than sorry, right?"

Karin could only huff in response. Suddenly, she was enveloped in an enormous bear hug by none other than Orihime.

"Karin-chan! I couldn't properly greet you in the meeting room, but I've missed you so much!"

Since Orihime had been childhood friends with Ichigo for a long time, she had become close friends with Karin and Yuzu as well over the wears. Unfortunately, the war and Masaki's death had meant Karin hadn't been able to see Orihime for the past 14 months.

Karin smiled and hugged the redhead back. "I've missed you too, Orihime-nee." The fact that Orihime had been over at their palace so often that Karin now thought of her as an older sister only further proved their close friendship.

Light thuds were heard in the hall, as the heir to the Ishida family walked up quietly. He was dressed in a white outfit, which wasn't very surprising. The Ishida family had always been associated with the colour white, as it represented purity and cleansing. He pushed his glasses up his nose as his warm eyes glanced at Karin.

"Ah, Kurosaki-chan, it has been a long time." As with Orihime, he too had become acquainted with the two younger Kurosaki sisters over the years. Though he and Ichigo often argued, he had still been close friends with him, and thus visited often. Both Karin and Yuzu had thought of him as a second brother.

"Ishi-nii!" Karin cried out happily as she noticed the man. Due to the professional atmosphere of the meeting, Karin had been unable to properly greet her longtime friends, but that issue was now over.

Ishida grimaced slightly, as he _detested_ that name. "Nice to know you are still the same as always. Rude as ever."

"Nice to see that you're still as uptight as always!" Karin grinned back.

"Ah! That's right. Are you two dating?" Karin added curiously. "You two have been together since you arrived at the castle earlier in the evening."

Both people immediately turned bright red and Orihime stopped embracing Karin.

"Of course not! We're just childhood friends!" they cried out in unison.

Karin raised a suspicious eyebrow as she looked on with disbelief.

"It's true!" Orihime protested with a childish (but cute) pout. "We're only friends!"

Karin smirked slightly before saying, "I was only teasing. Well, I ought to get going. It was nice seeing you, but I'm rather tired. It's rather late, so I think I'll be sleeping. I'll see you two later, alright?"

A light hand gripped Karin's shoulder and prevented her from moving. Turning around to see who it was, Karin saw Orihime's determined brown eyes stare into her face. "Karin-chan. I can tell that your behaviour is slightly off. Did what Jinta-kun say really bother you?" she asked with concern and sympathy.

Karin froze before turning away abruptly. "N-no. It's nothing, I'm just tired. Thanks, but it's nothing that a good night's rest can't fix. I'll see you guys at breakfast tomorrow, alright?" With an apologetic smile, she ran down the hall, with Hitsugaya trailing behind her. Orihime and Ishida watched on with worried eyes as the two figures slowly disappeared.

* * *

_Karin..._

It was that voice again, but it sounded different this time. It wasn't as calm and lyrical as before; instead, it sounded impatient and exasperated.

_Karin, it's been over a week. You were the one who wished to speak with me, and yet when I appear before you, you refuse to acknowledge me?_

_..._

_Karin, hurry. Before that man makes the first move..._

* * *

"Renji!" Karin called out excitedly as she ran down the hallway. "You seem lost. Looking for a tour guide?" she asked teasingly. Though she seemed carefree on the exterior, she was worried. She had another dream last night. Usually, she just ignored them, but the voice had become less kind, and more impatient. Was it a warning? Karin was shaken back to reality as Renji responded.

"Ah, Karin!" he called out in surprise. It was the second day since the meeting had originally been held, and several of the visitors had been staying over. The current situation of the war meant that travelling in between kingdoms too much could be dangerous, so it was avoided as much as possible. As a result, Hisagi and Renji were sent over as attendees of the meeting, as well as to help with Karakura war forces as commanding warriors. The Kurosaki family warmly welcomed them into their castle, presenting it as their home for the duration of the war.

Through the past day, Renji and Karin had instantly stricken up an easy friendship due to their similar personalities. Karin learned that he had been childhood friends with Rukia since a young age, so he had met with Ichigo on several occasions as well.

"Cheeky brat," he smirked before ruffling up her hair. "Eh? Where's Hitsugaya-san?" he asked curiously.

Karin frowned slightly. "He's not my personal stalker you know. Since you guys have so generously allowed me to be locked up at home," she paused here with an irritated glare before continuing, "he can rest easy. After all, I really don't need a bodyguard inside these walls. But, he'll be staying with us until the end of the war because of the contract that was signed."

Renji raised his tattooed eyebrows and shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat I guess. And to answer your question, a tour guide sounds pretty good right now. I've been looking for the dining hall since I woke up two hours ago, and I still haven't eaten breakfast!"

Karin smirked and chuckled. "What a dumbass," she teased before rushing off, running away from a raging Renji.

As Karin raced down the halls, she heard a large _thud!_ behind her, causing her to turn around.

Behind her, there lay a pile of bodies on the ground. On closer inspection, she saw that there were only two bodies - Renji's and the body of a maid's.

"Renji, you're such a clutz! My god, Tatsuki, are you alright?" Karin asked while rushing forward to help the two up.

Tatsuki - the maid - rubbed the black of her head and winced slightly. "I've been better..." she muttered under her breath. Her short black hair was tousled up more than usual and her maid uniform was in a mess. Her uniform consisted of a white blouse, a blue apron, and a short white skirt.

"Ah, so sorry!" Renji apologized, obviously flustered. He waved his hands around, face extremely apologetic. "It's all this brat's fault," he added, glaring at Karin.

Tatsuki looked up at Renji and smirked slightly. "No worries. Arisawa Tatsuki. You?" she introduced herself, extending a hand out so he could pull her off the floor.

"A-Abarai Renji," he stuttered.

"Interesting," Tatsuki responded before dusting herself off. "You have a nice way of greeting people, knocking them to the ground," she smirked. "Well, I've got places to go, I'll see you around." With a nod, she headed in the opposite direction of where Renji and Karin were headed.

"Who was that?" Renji asked slightly breathlessly.

Karin giggled inwardly before answering. "Arisawa Tatsuki is the head maid here. She comes from a noble family that's been serving our family for ages. She and Orihime-nee became good friends when they were kids since Orihime-nee always came over. Tatsuki's an amazing person, I think you'd like her," Karin added thoughtfully. With a shrug, she shook her head and headed off for the dining room.

"Come on Renji. I thought you were hungry?"

Renji followed after Karin, but he was no longer hungry. Instead, his mind was stuck on a certain black-haired female.

* * *

Ichigo and Isshin had been resting at home for the past few days, as the intensity of the war had simmered down slightly. Hueco Mundo troops had been backing off, which was a suspicious sign of something big happening soon. Though wary, the two (and many other warriors as well) had taken this opportunity to quickly revamp. Today was the last day before Ichigo would be heading out to the front lines again to direct the last of the remaining troops who hadn't abandoned the battlefield.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo was lying on his canopy bed, staring into the white ceiling. It was the middle of the night, but he hadn't managed to fall asleep yet. Naturally, he had expected all the others to be asleep at this time, so he jumped when he heard his name.

"R-Rukia?"

The petite girl entered into his room uncertainly, dressed in a white cotton nightdress. Her raven hair shone where the moonlight landed on it, and her violet eyes were large and bright.

"Can I sit down?"

Ichigo nodded and patted the bed beside himself. Rukia quickly walked over and sat down.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked worriedly. His arm came to rest on Rukia's small frame, and he brought her closer to himself.

"N-nothing," she muttered.

"Bullshit. Are you not feeling well?"

"You fool! Since when have I been not well? It's _you_ I'm worried about! You're off to the battlefield again tomorrow..."

Ichigo smiled gently before using his thumb to wipe away a few stray tears from Rukia's face. "Don't cry love," he murmured. "I'll be fine. Don't you believe in me? I'm one of the strongest mages out there."

Tear-filled purple eyes met brown ones and Rukia threw herself on Ichigo's chest. "I just...I just. I'll miss you, you know. When's the next time you're coming back? When will we get married?"

A large and comforting hand fell on Rukia's dark head and patted her in a comforting way. "I'll be back before you know it. This war can't last forever you know."

Rukia nodded solemnly before she brought her face to Ichigo's. Uncertaunly, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Ichigo's neck. Ichigo took the hint and leaned forward, his breath mingling with hers. Lips soon met in a chaste but passionate kiss as Rukia played with Ichigo's bright orange hair.

The two broke apart, and Rukia snuggled in the bed with Ichigo.

"Good night Ichigo..."

"Good night Rukia..."

* * *

Meanwhile, two other souls were also awake at this late hour.

"Kurosaki."

The two were walking slowly in the halls. They had been strolling in the gardens, and were finally returning to their bedrooms. The entire walk had been silent up until now.

"Mm?"

"About what Inoue-sama said a few days ago. I also feel as if...as if what Hanakari-sama said is still bothering you."

"Nah. Not really."

"Stop it."

His harsh tone of voice forced Karin to stop in her tracks. "T-Toushiro?" she asked worriedly.

"Stop it. Stop pretending to be so strong. You always hold everything in, and you never let anyone else in your heart. It's not shameful if what he said hurt you. He was being a downright bastard."

Karin trembled slightly. "No..." she whispered. "It's not that. Well, it is. But it's not that it hurts. It's just what he said was true."

A sudden movement caused Karin to lose her breath. Hitsugaya had pulled her into his strong arms, which wrapped tightly around her mid-section. "Don't say that. Just don't," he murmured into her tangled raven hair. His cool breath sent shivers down Karin's spine as she breathed in his minty scent.

"W-what are you doing, Toushiro?"

"What he said about you being the worst princess ever. That's not true."

"It i-"

"Not at all. You aren't a _normal_ princess, but you're not a bad one either. And saying you're selfish? That jerk doesn't know you at all if he thinks that," Toushiro muttered angrily. It was true; the words weren't empty. Through his time spent constantly by Karin's side, he noticed that despite what others may think, Karin was one of the kindest people he had ever met. She simply showed her kindness in a somewhat unique way. She was sympathetic and always caring about those close to her, and she was overly protective of her loved ones as well. Not to mention that she would gladly sacrifice herself for those people. That was definitely an important quality a princess should possess, and it easily proved that she was as selfless as they got. "And what's wrong with soccer? It's amazing."

Karin snuggled close in Hitsugaya's chest as she let his kind words wash over her.

"And lastly, his point of you not being as pretty as your sister. I had a feeling this bothered you the most. But you know what? You and your sister have a different kind of beauty. Yours shines in a different way, but you're just as beautiful. Never let anyone make you think otherwise," he whispered into her ear. He buried his face in her head and let his eyes closed.

Moonlight drifted in through the windows in the hallway and illuminated the hugging pair. The light made Hitsugaya's hair shine silver, and cast an angelic glow over Karin. The two stood there embracing for a few minutes longer before Hitsugaya finally let Karin go.

Both were rather warm and red in the face, and Hitsugaya stammered over his words.

"I'll, uh, be going to my room now," he said while averting his eyes. "I'll, um, see you in the morning?"

Karin smiled warmly at the sight of a flustered Hitsugaya, and she ruffled his soft hair as she chuckled.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter! **

**Look forward to more... and I'll be expanding on Yuzu's and Jinta's relationships, so don't think the drama's over yet! ;)**

**Please review!**

**~abyss-of-lights**


	7. dreams and memories

**I'm alive and kicking! That's right, I did not abandon this story! I'm so sorry for the long wait though, I've been REALLY busy with school these past few weeks. :( I'll definitely try harder to update more frequently next time.**_  
_

**Anyways, I'm sure you guys have been waiting for the chapter for a long time, so here it is! :D**

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Tite Kubo!**

* * *

_Karin was dreaming again. Though there was no ground, she was standing on something solid. Golden flecks of light floated around her, and warmed up her skin wherever they touche her. Karin looked around a few times, trying to find something other than the golden lights and endless black space. To her dismay, she found nothing._

_"Karin..."_

_Karin startled at the sudden appearance of the voice. Though she could not see it, she felt as if it was coming closer towards her. _

_"I cannot wait much longer. You must hurry up soon, before _that man_ takes it all again. I granted the wish once, but I cannot again. That is the law to keep reality stable and true."_

_Karin blinked a few times before speaking. "Sorry, what? I'm actually very confused. Care to explain?" she asked in a snappy voice._

_The voice seemingly sighed before it spoke again. "You cannot see me, correct? Despite the fact that I'm standing right in front of you, you cannot see my physical form because you do not believe. Look at what this world has become! It's pitch black, with only a few golden specks representing your hopes and dreams."_

_"W-wait, so you're saying this is my fault?!" Karin cried out angrily. "I think you're blowing things out of proportion. I have no idea in hell what is happening, and all you're doing is adding to the confusion. If you're so smart, why don't you answer a few of my questions, huh? Can I trust you? Who are you? What is this place? Just what are you talking about? What wish?"_

_Out of breath, Karin stared defiantly into the space before her, at where she thought the voice's physical body probably stood._

_The voice giggled lightly to Karin's dismay. "I'm actually over here," she said in a light voice, obviously amused by the situation. Karin spun around slightly to her right, where the voice was speaking from. Her face was red and embarrassed, but she still glared in a challenging way. The voice sighed again. _

_"I.. I know the answers to your questions."_

_Karin's face lit up. "Really? So then, wanna tell me the answers now?"_

_"I never said I would answer them though."_

_Karin's face registered shock for a brief moment before anger took over. "You jerk! I don't care who you are, just answer the damn questions already!"_

_"Karin, calm down," the voice said with yet another sigh. "I simply cannot answer."_

_"That's bull!"_

_"I mustn't. You must find the answers on your own. I am only here to guide you on the path."_

_"Guide me? Heh! You're not doing anything, except making more confused than I need to be."_

_The voice took on an irritated tone, similar to that which was used in her last dream. "I've been trying, you're just being too stubborn to reciprocate my effort! Time truly is running out, we must hurry."_

_"You're still not making any sense!"_

_"Tsk.. alright, I'll push you on the correct path, but I cannot do anything more than that."_

_"Wait, wha-"_

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!" Karin screamed as she suddenly fell into a hole. _

_"As I said, I'm pushing you to the right path. You're travelling back to your lost memories, 200 years ago. Now then, please try your best!" the voice said cheerfully. "Showing you memories takes lots of energy, and I cannot sustain myself like this much longer. Until next time!"_

_The voice disappeared and Karin cursed as she continued falling. The hole was deep, and after a while, Karin started wondering if there was even a bottom. As soon as she thought that, she landed on something hard - the ground._

_"Ow!"_

_Karin rubbed her head and bum (which had suffered most of the impact) as she looked around her surroundings. She was located... in the Kurosaki garden! In the middle of the garden, she saw the stone fountain which had recently been blown apart by Harribel and her lackies._

_"Wait, what? That fountain should be in pieces right now... So the voice was telling the truth. I really did travel back in time," Karin said to herself in awe. She walked over slowly to examine if anything about it was different, only to gasp. As she neared the fountain, she realized that there was someone sitting on the ground of the opposite side of the fountain. Seeing that spiky, white hair caused Karin to stop in her tracks._

_"Young Master!" a feminine voice called out from behind Karin._

_Karin spun around to see who as calling, only to have a young maid run right past her without so much as throwing her a glance. _So since this is a memory, I don't actually "exist" here...? _Karin wondered to herself._

_Looking back at the scene before her, she saw the maid trying to pull the boy up from his spot on the ground. The boy was struggling, and as he yelled something at the maid, his head turned slightly. This provided Karin a clear view of his face, and she almost fell to the ground when she saw those sparkling green eyes._

* * *

"Kurosaki! Kurosaki, are you ok?"

Karin blearily opened her eyes and found Hitsugaya's face staring down at her concernedly. Such a close view of his face made Karin fluster slightly, but she remained calm.

"T-Toushiro? What's up? Why are you sticking your face in mine?" she asked as she slowly sat up in bed. "And why are you in my room, you pervert!"

Hitsugaya reddened. "I am not a pervert! It's already almost noon, so I came in here to wake you up you sleepyhead!"

Karin looked sheepish as she rubbed her neck in a nervous manner. "Whoops. I guess I slept in a bit... So how come you're so worried?" she added. Surely, sleeping in was not a good enough reason for Hitsugaya to be freaking out over her.

"You were thrashing about in your sleep, and you were sweating a lot too. I was worried... Are you ok?" he asked, face and voice both showing concern.

Karin huffed and smiled gently. "I'm fine you worrywart! It was just an odd dream, that's all," she replied cheerfully. "Geez, you need to stop overreacting to things, squirt!"

Hitsugaya immediately started scowling. "I'm not a squirt!" he yelled before storming out of her room.

Karin chuckled lightly to herself as he slammed the door to her bedroom. She quickly got out of bed and started changing. Unlike many princesses in the past, Isshin had insisted on Karin and Yuzu becoming self-sustaining women, so he found no need for a maid to help dress the two up every morning. _"Surely, changing your clothes isn't too difficult?" _he had asked in a cheerful tone. _"Of course, little Ichigo here isn't quite bright enough..." _he had finished with a grin. Unfortunately for him, Ichigo was close by, and Isshin had gone to sleep that day with a giant bump on his head.

Shaking her head, Karin tried to focus on more important things.

That dream was truly bizarre. The voice had said that those memories were from 200 years ago; why was Hitsugaya in the Kurosaki residence 500 years ago? Not to mention that he was a "young master". What did this mean? Was Hitsugaya 200+ years old?

Karin stopped moving at that thought and slapped herself in the face.

"Oh boy, I sure am losing it. That thought is so ridiculous, it's funny," Karin muttered to herself. With a sigh, she finished buttoning up her favourite purple dress (which was, of course, nice and plain) and headed out the door to get some brunch with Hitsugaya.

"Toshiro!" Karin called out as she left her room. "You hungry yet? Let's get going," she said with a grin.

Hitsugaya had been leaning against the wall beside her room, and he slightly turned his head when she exited. With a slight nod, he followed behind her and they started their long trek across the castle to the dining room (which was on the other side of the castle). An awkward silence ensued as both individuals suddenly remembered the previous night's events. Karin's sleeping issues had allowed for both to momentarily forget about the passionate hug from last night, but now that that was over, this memory was at the forefront of their minds. Not to mention that Karin also had another issue; the memory which the voice had shown her. Karin and Hitsugaya both remained silent for the majority of the walk, until Karin built up enough courage to break the silence.

"So, uh... did you sleep well last night?" she asked in a meek voice.

Hitsugaya scratched his nose awkwardly as he answered. "Yeah, I had a good night's sleep. You?"

"You mean other than my dream?" Karin asked back with a grin.

"Oh, actually, what was the dream about anyways?" he asked.

"Eh, nothing much. I don't really remember," Karin lied. She felt awkward lying to Hitsugaya, who was now one of her closest friends. However, the dream made absolutely no sense, and until she figured it out, she wasn't going to tell anyone. Besides, it could be actually just be a plain and simple dream with no meaning, though she somehow doubted that.

Hitsugaya gave Karin a suspicious glance before shrugging and heading ahead of her to the dining room.

"You're really slow," he complained. "I'm starving, so hurry up!"

* * *

"Kurosaki-san!" Hanataro called out in a rush. "Kurosaki-san, please wait!" he called out frantically.

Yuzu stopped and slowly turned her head around. The two were currently returning from their breakfast. They generally woke up before Karin and Hitsugaya did (rather, before Karin, as Hitsugaya always waited for Karin), and as such, they usually didn't eat breakfast with the two. Today, they had met Karin and Hitsugaya in the halls just earlier; Yuzu and Hanataro were returning to their rooms, while Karin and Hitsugaya were heading off to the dining room. Their encounter had been quiet, and it was all Yuzu could do to nod her head slightly with a pained smile.

"Kurosaki-san!" Hanataro repeated.

"What is it Hanataro-san?" she asked politely. Despite her effort though, Hanataro could see that she wasn't her usual self. The most obvious sign was that she wasn't as cheerful as usual, and that her eyes seemed dead and hollow.

Seeing this made Hanataro's heart churn, and he felt as if he was breaking along with Yuzu.

"Kurosaki-san, are you alright?" he asked in a worried tone. "Ever since yesterday's meeting, you have been... depressed."

Yuzu trembled slightly but smiled nonetheless. "I'm fine Hanataro-san. I'm just tired."

"K-Kurosaki-san," Hanataro began nervously. "I-it really isn't my place to say so, as I am just a humble bodyguard, but if there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know. It hurts me to see you in pain like this."

Yuzu looked at Hanataro gratefully, her eyes brimming with emotion which had been missing earlier. "Thank you Hanataro-san," she whispered as she looked at the ground. Her hands fidgeted with her pink skirt and Hanataro was shocked to see a few wet spots on the skirt.

"K-Kurosaki-san, please don't cry!" he cried out. However, more and more wet spots appeared on the skirt, as Yuzu started to sob. Hanataro looked around wildly, and was dismayed to find that the hallway was empty. Unsure of what else to do, he nervously draped his right arm across Yuzu's shoulders. He cuddled her closer and attempted to whisper encouraging words.

Not very experienced, he stumbled over his words. He was glad to see though, that Yuzu had calmed down somewhat. She was no longer sobbing, though her face was still full of tears.

"Come Kurosaki-san," Hanataro said slightly more firmly than before. "Let's go to your room to clean you up," he said gently. Though he was still feeling extremely nervous about this, he knew that he had to be Yuzu's strength at the moment. When she was weak and heartbroken as she was right now, he had to support her; being nervous and frantic would be of no help to her.

The two slowly made their way to Yuzu's large pink bedroom, and Hanataro led her to her bathroom. There, Yuzu managed to wash her face up before returning to the couch where Hanataro was sitting.

Hanataro sat patiently on a very large pink couch. He was looking out the large window on the wall.

"Thank you Hanataro-san," Yuzu said gently to announce her presence. She quickly made her way over and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry for showing you such a weak side of me," she said in a shamed voice.

Hanataro was waving his hands around in denial. "Not at all! I think that it's fine, since we all have times when we feel down and low," he said frantically, desperately trying to cheer Yuzu up. "If you feel like it, feel free to spill your feelings with me; I can promise that I won't tell anyone if they are secrets," he said seriously. His blue eyes were brimming with love and care. Despite his small and frail frame, Yuzu currently saw a strong and supportive man before her right now.

Yuzu leaned into Hanataro's small frame, and found that she fit perfectly. She snuggled into a rather flustered Hanataro and breathed in his herbal scent. She smiled to herself as she let her eyes close in content.

"Hanataro-san... thank you so much. At my times of weakness, you truly are my support," Yuzu said sweetly, her voice no longer as hollow as it was this morning. "I... You, you're truly more than just a bodyguard." Her face was slightly red and her voice was quiet and mellow.

"Thank you..."

Hanataro had managed to calm his frantically beating heart, and he wrapped a tentative arm around Yuzu. The two stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Hanataro-san... do you want to know more about.. mine and Jinta-kun's past?" Yuzu asked uncertainly.

At the man's name, Hanataro tensed up slightly. Though he was not one to hold grudges or the like, he truly disliked him at the moment. From what he could tell, Jinta had caused Yuzu much pain, and he didn't like that one bit. "If that is alright with you, I would love to learn about what happened between you and Hanakari-sama in the past, Kurosaki-san."

Yuzu stared into his blue eyes with her warm and brown ones. Closing her eyes, she sighed and began to recount her tale.

* * *

_3 years ago:_

_Yuzu scurried through the stone halls of the Kurosaki castle as fast as she could in a way that remained dignified. She finally arrived at the front doors._

_"Oto-sama! Okaa-sama! I heard there were visitors?" Yuzu called out excitedly. Yuzu had always loved greeting visitors, and this time was no exception. In the large front foyer, she saw her parents slowly descending down the marble spiral staircase, as well as two people standing in front of the front doors._

_"Ah, Yuzu! Lookie, our two guests have arrived!" her father said joyfully while pointing at the two people, waving his cape around._

_Yuzu smiled, used to her father's eccentric ways._

_"Yes, we were making our way down just now to welcome them," her mother said sweetly. She glanced at the two guests as she descended to the main floor. "Hello, and welcome. Yuzu, these are members from Karakura's Covert Ops. They're here on an errand from the two leaders of Karakura's Covert Ops, and they'll be staying overnight for a week," she explained to Yuzu. "Would you like to introduce yourselves?" she asked._

_The two people nodded their heads. The first was a young girl around Yuzu's age, with black hair. Her bangs were strange and parted down the middle of her face, and she had round purple eyes. She seemed shy and quiet, unlike her partner. He was slightly taller with bright red hair, and sharp black eyes. He seemed lively and rather excited._

_"Yo! I'm Hanakari Jinta, and this is Tsumugiya Ururu. We're members from the kingdom's Covert Ops unit. Nice to meet ya!" he said in a loud voice. Yuzu giggled quietly at his introduction, as she found him funny. Jinta noticed her giggling, and his face turned bright red. _

A g-goddess!_ he thought to himself._

_"Errr... nice to meet you, Kurosaki-sama," he said while bowing lowly to Yuzu. She giggled again, and returned his bow with a curtsey. "An honor, Hanakari-sama. But please, call me Yuzu."_

_Jinta's face flushed darker still at the thought of such informality. "P-please call me Jinta as well," he said in a daze._

_"Alright Jinta-kun," she replied with a sweet smile. Jinta nearly fainted as he stumbled around the foyer. Yuzu continued to giggle._

_"Well, I'll see you later Jinta-kun! Please enjoy your stay here. I must go now, my dance lessons are soon." With that, Yuzu quickly climbed up the stairs, leaving behind a love-dazed Jinta, two amused parents, and an oddly quiet girl._

* * *

_Yuzu and Jinta had many chats during his week-long stay at the Kurosaki's castle. At the ripe young age of 13, Yuzu had much to learn about the world. Jinta, whose family had been part of Karakura's Covert Ops since the beginning of time, had been on plenty of missions across the globe. He took pride in being able to tell Yuzu fascinating stories that made her eyes sparkle._

_"And then, with a BAM, I knocked the bear right over!" he exclaimed while punching his fist into the air._

_Yuzu smiled sweetly at him. "Wow, your stories are always so interesting!" she exclaimed. "I wish I could go on adventures like that," she sighed. "Instead, I'm stuck at home all day taking lessons so I can be an ideal princess."_

_Jinta looked thoughtful (a rare sight!) as he rubbed his chin. "But, that's a good thing, right? You're a perfect princess, and everyone loves you!"_

_Yuzu grinned up at him. "Thanks Jinta-kun!" she said in a honey-sweet voice. "You're so sweet."_

_Jinta gulped as his face flamed. Man, she was _cute_!_

_"L-listen. I'm leaving tomorrow morning," he said in a low voice while staring at the ground. Uncertainly, he looked into her eyes, and was shocked to see tears. "W-wha! Don't cry! It's ok, I'll come back and visit!"_

_"B-but you tell the best stories, even better than Okaa-sama's!" Yuzu cried out. _

_Jinta patted her on the head. "Look, I'm a man at the age of 15, and as a man, I always keep my promises. I'll come back and tell you more of my stories!" he boasted proudly._

_"Y-you promise?" Yuzu asked in a meek voice._

_"Of course!"_

_"T-then, p-pinky promise me," Yuzu said through her tears. "Please?" she insisted at the look on Jinta's face._

_"F-fine," he grumbled as his right pinkie caught hers in a lock. "I pinky promise..."_

* * *

_A year had passed since the last time Yuzu had seen Jinta. Her boring lessons continued daily, and she often found herself yearning for something more exciting._

_"Yuuuuuzu!" a voice rang out._

_"Yes, Karin-chan?" Yuzu said back in a bright voice._

_"You were dazing out again," Karin complained. "If we're going to be playing croquet, we should play it correctly!" she exclaimed._

_"S-sorry Karin-can," Yuzu said apologetically._

_Karin smirked as she swung her wooden mallet to hit the ball. "Boy issues?" she teased._

_Yuzu turned bright red as she stammered over her words. "Y-you wish Karin-chan!"_

_"Hmm...let me guess. It's that Jinta kid, isn't it?" Karin boomed out confidently. _

_Yuzu turned redder, if possible._

_"Bingo! Don't underestimate your older sister," Karin said with a wink. "Well then, I'm not sure if I approve of that kid. After all, it's been a long time since he was last here, and he still hasn't visited you! Though, I really haven't talked to him before, so I can't judge."_

_"J-Jinta-kun is very nice," Yuzu exclaimed, attempting to defend her crush. "He's very brave and strong too, and his stories are so interesting!"_

_"Mmm, you can have fun daydreaming about him," Karin said, not very interested. "Here, the next ball's yours," she said, indicating for Yuzu to hurry up and swing her mallet._

_Yuzu proceeded to swing, but her mind was elsewhere. Indeed, why _hadn't_ he visited her yet? He promised he would! _

_As her mallet made contact with the ball, she instantly knew she had missed. Sure enough, the ball missed the wicket by quite a few inches. _

_"Ah," Yuzu said._

_She had lost the game._

* * *

**Yay! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 7! There was a lot of italics in it. o_0**

**Not very much HitsuKarin fluff, sorry about that. :( But hey, an interesting development, eh? Who was that boy from 200 years ago? Was it really Toushiro? : o Does this have anything to do with why Karin and Toushiro felt as if they knew each other in the earlier chapters? You'll just have to wait and find out! *cackles evilly* P-please don't hate me, alright?**

**Anyways, due to the lack of HitsuKarin fluff, I have instead included some HanaYuzu fluff for all you HanaYuzu fans out there! :D (Wait, is it YuzuTaro? Or...omg, I don't even know. But yeah, you get the point. ;) HanataroxYuzu!) And yes, I will continue to expand on Yuzu's and Jinta's backstory in later chapters, so no worries. ;) Oh, and btw. If any of you play croquet, you could probably tell that I have no idea how. So yeah, sorry if I messed up the rules a bit (or a lot!). **

**Ok, enough from me. I hope you guys had a great Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate), and please look forward to more updates. Since it's the holidays, I'll probably be able to update A LOT more. As in, I might even be able to update tomorrow! :D HO HO HO**

**Remember to review, alright? :D They keep me going and they really encourage me.(:**

**And one last note; I'll be posting a HitsuKarin one-shot soon, so look forward to it, and review that too, alright? ^^**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS! **

**~abyss-of-lights**


	8. defilement

**Yay, an update! Firstly, I want to apologize because I know I said I would update 2 days ago. : / S-so sorry guys! Umm... anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways. :')**

**J-just a warning... There's some... mentions of sexual situations in this chapter. Sexual as in rape! And no, not between Karin and Toushiro! I'm not going to change the rating of the story because I made it as un-graphic as possible, so I'm pretty sure that there shouldn't be any issues. :') I hope anyways...**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Mr. Kubo!**

* * *

Karin and Hitsugaya were currently eating their brunch. As Karin stuffed her face with bacon and toast, Hitsugaya awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Uh, Kurosaki? I need to talk to you about something important..."

"Oh? Whad'ya wadda say?" Karin asked with a stuffed mouth.

With a sigh, Hitsugaya lightly reprimanded her. "Please, for spirit's sake, finish chewing before speaking," he said with a grumble. Karin gave a shrug, which clearly stated '_whatever_', before returning her attention back to the bacon.

"If yu haff somedin do say, say it now," she said, easily ignoring his reprimanding about eating while talking.

Knowing he would never convince the girl to act more formally, Hitsugaya got straight to the point. "Kurosaki, I've been having strange dreams."

This easily caused Karin to stop eating, and she diverted her full attention to Hitsugaya. "What kind of dreams?" she asked seriously in a quiet tone.

"My spirit, Hyourinmaru. Recently, he continuously talks to me in my dreams. He says it's my fault. That if I don't want to disappoint again, I need to remember. He says it's my fault... For not believing and not remembering..."

His voice died quietly at the end as he sighed again.

When he looked up to gauge Karin's reaction, he was startled to say the least. She had a shocked and strange look on her face, and she was paler than usual. "Dreams? Believing? Remembering? Your spirit..." she was muttering to herself.

"K-Kurosaki?"

Hitsugaya ran a hand through his snowy hair as jade eyes focused on Karin. "Kurosaki, what are you mumbling about?"

Karin's onyx eyes met his, and she had an incredibly serious look on her face, which was very uncharacteristic of her. "That strange dream I mentioned this morning... I was going to keep it a secret, but this changes things. I think there's something big brewing in the background, and we need to figure out what it is."

"When you said you had a strange dream, I instantly thought of mine and wondered if there was a connection. Tell me Kurosaki, what happened in your dream?"

"I... I think I might've been in my spirit world. I'm not sure. A voice, a feminine one, talks to me, and she says that I need to remember. Something about a wish I think? And _him_. I'm not sure who he is, but she mentions him all the time. She says I have to take action before he does... It's all so confusing!" she cried out in frustration, comically trying to rip out her hair.

Hitsugaya's eyes urged her on. "Anything else?"

Karin looked away before continuing quietly. "Yeah... the voice showed me a memory from 200 years ago. You were in it."

* * *

_2 years ago:_

_Yuzu was quietly reading a book in her castle's garden when she suddenly gasped as strong arms lifted her up into the air. Something - hands maybe? - blocked her sight of the world, and she suddenly started spinning around and around. Yuzu giggled as she felt the wind gently caress her face, as her hair flew about wildly. Her book easily fell from her hands and landed in the green grass with a thud. The person finally let her down, and Yuzu turned around to see who it was._

_She gasped._

_"J-Jinta-kun! You're back!" she exclaimed joyfully, as tears of happiness stung her honey-brown eyes._

_With a grin and a thumbs-up, he nodded. "You bet I am!" he yelled._

_"Oh, I'm so glad!" Yuzu cried out as she hugged Jinta with her tiny frame. Not noticing Jinta's massive blush, she turned away and started running. "Come Jinta-kun! I was talking about you with Karin-chan last week, and I realized you two haven't met yet! Come say hi to her!"_

_Jinta followed his 'goddess' until they arrived at the other end of the massive garden. There, a young girl with raven hair was dribbling a soccer ball. The funny thing was, she was currently wearing a dress._

_"Karin-chan! Geez, how many times do I have to say this? After our dance classes, you should change before playing soccer!" Yuzu reprimanded lightly with a cute pout. _

_The girls with raven hair turned around to greet the two. "It's fine Yuzu. A little tear in the fabric isn't the end of the world," she said with a wink. "Now then. This is umm... Hanakari Jinta, right? The boy we were talking about last week?"_

_Said boy suddenly straightened up slightly. _

_Raising an eyebrow, Karin introduced herself. "Yo. Kurosaki Karin, Yuzu's twin sister, and older by a few minutes."_

_Jinta nodded and evaluated her appearance - her hair was falling out of its bun, her dress (which looked like it used to be something magnificient) had many scratches and it almost looked as if she had rolled around in the dirt. He had a disapproving frown on his face._

_"Karin-chan, Karin-chan, now you see what I meant right? Look at how nice, and brave, and strong he is!" Yuzu said, not noticing the look Karin was receiving._

_Jinta started blushing profusely at being complimented by his 'goddess', while Karin raised another thin eyebrow. Unlike her sister, she had noticed that Jinta was staring at her. She decided to just ignore it for now, but that did not mean he could simply waltz away with her baby sister just yet._

_"Hum... we'll have to wait and see if he reaches my standards and expectations..." Karin muttered to herself._

_Jinta narrowed his eyes. "As if I need permission from you!" he yelled, pointing a finger at Karin. "You should listen to your sister more! Don't play soccer in a dress! Better yet, don't play soccer at all! You're a princess for spirit's sake!"_

_"Jerk! What's wrong with soccer, huh?!" Karin yelled back. Soon, the two were arguing heatedly, and before long, they resorted to violence._

_"You wanna bite of these guys?!" Karin challenged, raising her hands to indicate she was fine with a few kicks and scratches._

_"You're gonna regret it, girlie!" he screeched back. _

_Both snarled angrily at each other, as Yuzu tried awkwardly to ease the tension. "W-would you guys like to go to the dining hall for some apple pie?" she asked nervously. "I asked Chef Yuuki to prepare some earlier, and he makes the best pies!" she continued frantically, as she saw the tension between the two rising._

_"Hmph," Karin said, turning away from Jinta. "You can go have some with your little boyfriend. I'm gonna stay out here a little longer, maybe kick the ball around a bit more."_

_"K-Karin-chan! H-he's not my boyfriend!" Yuzu cried out, flustered and red._

_Jinta too was red, but he nodded his approval. "As long as you don't come with us," he said while sticking a tongue out at Karin in an immature fashion. With that, he and Yuzu left for the dining hall to get some pie._

_"I don't like that kid," Karin muttered as she watched the two retreating backs. "I swear, I'll kill him if he harms Yuzu."_

* * *

"What?!"Hitsugaya cried out in surprise. His usual calm facade was replaced with shock and disbelief. "You're saying I was alive 200 years ago? Don't be absurd!" he said, eye twitching slightly.

"I never said that! I just told you what I saw, right?"

"Hmm... we're going to have to look into this a bit more..." Hitsugaya said thoughtfully.

The two ate in silence for a few minutes as both contemplated their thoughts and dreams. After a few minutes, Hitsugaya spoke up again, changing the topic.

"I hope you're not taking to heart what Hanakari-sama said."

Karin was brought out of her thoughts at Hitsugaya's voice. "Oh, nah, I'm fine!" she said cheerfully. "You... you really helped last night," she said with a grateful smile. The slightest tinge of pink could be seen on her cheeks.

"R-right," Hitsugaya said, as he remembered what he had done. Hugging her had felt better than he imagined, and he was tempted to do it again. All he had to do was lean over to the right a bit, stretch out his arms and then he cou-

_No!_ Hitsugaya mentally scolded himself, for having those kind of thoughts _again_. He really needed to get his head out of the clouds, and remember that he was just a bodyguard. Hugging her last night was somewhat forgivable, as he was only comforting her. However, he had no excuse if he were to hug her now.

"Hey, Toushiro...?" Karin whispered while tugging on his shirt gently.

"Mm?"

"H-have you ever had... a girlfriend?" she asked timidly.

"Wh-wha?! Where did that question come from?" he asked, surprised and flustered.

Karin was flustered too. "Ah! I-I mean, no, as in - errr. I was wondering if you're in an arranged marriage or not! Yeah, that's it!" Karin quickly said, covering up her true intentions. She was just curious, that's all! _That's right, I'm only asking because I'm curious. No other reason. Nope._

Probably 99% of what she just told herself was false.

"Oh, um, if that's the case... No, I'm not in an arranged marriage. My family is doing well, thus there's no hurry for a successor or the like. To be honest, I've never really had the time to look at girls." _Until I met you that is._ "Being born into a noble family means having a busy schedule. You would know," he added with a smirk, having heard the disastrous stories of when she was forced to take dance lessons. "Training, painting, all the likes. As a result, I just never found the time to have a special someone," he finished thoughtfully. _But I think... maybe... just maybe, I found her. My special someone.._

"Oh? Who is she then?" Karin asked excitedly. "Who's the special someone?" she asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Though she was teasing him about it, inside, she once again felt like her heart was breaking. It couldn't possibly be because she liked him though, right?

_Oh crap! Did I say the last part out loud?_

"Shit! Um, I was just kidding. I haven't found anyone," he said quickly, not at all intent on her finding out he was possibly referring to her.

"Lies! Who is she?" Karin persisted, intent on figuring out who her love rival was. _Oh wait! Shit, I meant um. I meant, who the person who was trying to take away my bodyguard was. As in, a bodyguard rival! _Karin almost smacked herself for being so lame and obvious, even to herself.

"I said I was kidding!" Hitsugaya insisted.

The two ended up squabbling. Karin stood up and tugged on his arm during her protesting. However, as she stood up, the chair leg caught on her long dress, causing her to trip and fall. _Shit! Why do I always end up falling around him?_ Karin thought as her mind flashbacked to the soccer incident.

She tumbled and fumbled, finally landing on Hitsugaya. Of course, as luck would have it, the angle of her landing caused the his chair to tip over, sending both of them crashing to the ground.

As Karin tried to get up, she realized she couldn't because Hitsugaya ended up falling on her. His body's weight pressed down on her as she tried to get up.

"Ow... my head. Kurosaki, you're such a clutz!" he groaned angrily, emerald eyes glaring sharply. Unknown to Karin, he was blushing slightly.

However, Karin couldn't pay attention to his scolding. Instead, all she could see was his snowy hair and handsome face mere inches from hers. She reached out a tentative hand, letting her fingers lightly feather over the bangs falling over his face. Her touch sent electric shocks down Hitsugaya's spine, and he almost shivered from pleasure.

Suddenly, both stopped all motions as a petite figure with raven hair and violet eyes creeped away cackling.

"..."

"Did you just see a small woman with black hair and purple eyes who happens to look just like Rukia-nee exit the room while cackling evilly?"

"Nope."

"Good. I didn't either then."

"..."

"..."

"OH GOD RUKIA-NEE COME BACK HERE!" Karin yelled out as she shoved Hitsugaya off of her body, and started chasing the raven-haired woman down the hall.

Hitsugaya stayed motionless in the dining room, as he let his hand cover his burning face. The proximity between him and Karin was enough to rid him of his self-control. A few more moments, and he might have become unable to resist the urge to kiss her.

As he heard crashes and explosions from the down the hall, he wasn't sure whether to thank Rukia, or curse her. Had she not peeped on them, he really might have kissed her. A part of him was glad he didn't, but a stronger part of him really wished it had happened.

* * *

_14 months ago:_

_"J-Jinta-kun! S-stop!" Yuzu stuttered out as she gasped. _

_For the past 10 months, Yuzu and Jinta were practically stuck together at the hipbone. After the initial visit, he had come back everyday. He said he was unable to come visit earlier due to a flood of missions (he was part of the Covert Ops after all), but recently, incidents and the like were occurring much less. Thus, he was given much more free time. Eventually, he was appointed as the official Covert Ops member to watch over things in the Kurosaki castle, and was given permanent residence, much to his and Yuzu's pleasure, and Karin's displeasure._

_Through the 10 months, Karin and Jinta were forced to interact on several occasions, and they were at each other's necks for practically all of them. In the end, the two simply could not get along, despite many of Yuzu's protests and pleas. Despite Karin's immense dislike for the boy, she grudgingly accepted him as he made Yuzu happy. For her, her family's happiness and safety came above everything else._

_"Ah! Jinta-kun, I said to stop!" Yuzu cried out again._

_Jinta was currently tickling her sides, and causing Yuzu to squirm around like a child. "Hee, ah! Stop, n-no, that's not fair! You know t-that I'm super ticklish!" Yuzu squealed. Unbeknownst to her, Jinta was enjoying feeling her body far more than he let on._

_Jinta chuckled as he finally ceased his tickling and the two collapsed in the fresh grass of the Kurosaki garden, lying beside each other. Jinta gave Yuzu a quick peck on the lips and Yuzu giggled again._

_"You'll always be there for me, right?" Yuzu asked happily._

_"You bet I will!" Jinta cried out._

_"I'm glad," she answered sweetly._

_The two lay outside beneath the shining sun for a while longer before heading inside for lunch._

_That night, Yuzu went to bed peacefully and happily, as she had for many days now. Having Jinta with her made her incredibly happy and joyful. She changed into her thin nightdress before slipping into bed. The nightdress was pink and frilly, with thin straps. _

_As Yuzu drifted off to sleep, she suddenly woke up to her door creaking open quietly. Confused and sleepy, she wiped at her eyes while trying to see into the darkness. All the light she had to guide her eyes came from the moon, which shone in from the window. _

_"J-Jinta-kun? What's wrong? It's really late, shouldn't you be sleeping?" she asked._

_Jinta strode across her room quickly with powerful strides before climbing into her bed._

_"J-Jinta-kun?"_

_Roughly, he grabbed her hands and held them above her head._

_"J-Jinta-kun, what ar - "_

_Yuzu was cut off as Jinta covered her mouth with his hand. Through the dim moonlight, all Yuzu could see was a lecherous grin._

_Suddenly scared, Yuzu started crying. Despite her attempts at yelling and screaming, none were heard as they were all muffled by Jinta's large hand._

_Against her will, her thin nightdress was removed and soon, Yuzu was sobbing. _

_The moon was their only witness._

* * *

_Yuzu passed out before Jinta left, and woke up to searing pain inside herself, and dry tear tracks on her face. _

_At first, she was confused before she remembered the night's events. She started sobbing again._

_Before she could calm herself down, a maid burst into her room. Shocked and surprised, Yuzu quickly tried to wipe away her tears, but it was futile._

_Yuzu was about to think up of a silly explanation to tell the maid why she was sobbing, but before she could, the maid herself started sobbing._

_"Y-Yuzu-sama... It's h-horrible!"_

_"W-What is it?" Yuzu asked, blood draining out of her face._

_"Y-your mother! S-she... - !"_

* * *

**Dun dun dun! More mysteries! Mysteries everywhere! :D In which we now wonder about the past, about what Rukia was doing, and about what happened to Masaki. :)**

**Ok, so like I said earlier, there was mention of rape, and I hope I made it un-graphic enough. : / *nervous* I hope no one was offended... ?**

**Anyways, please please please please PLEASE review! I would appreciate it so much!3**

**Thanks again guys, and have a Happy New Year! :D**

**~abyss-of-lights**


	9. astray

**Hello everyone! Guess who's still alive?**

***dodges tomatoes***

**I'm so so so sorry for the super long wait! I didn't mean to take so long to update (OMG 2 months? o_O), but life happened.: /**

**I know that's a really crappy excuse, but that's all I can say. I've just been so overwhelmed with everything, and I haven't had the time to update. Once again, I apologize! I'd also like to take this chance to thank everyone who is still following this story - you guys are awesome!**

**Enough talking; here's the (long-awaited?) ninth chapter!**

* * *

_"Y-your mother! S-she... - !"_

_Before the maid could continue any further, she broke down in tears, and collapsed onto the ground._

_"Mitsuki-san! Please calm down!" Yuzu cried out frantically, ignoring her current ordeal and focusing more on helping out the stressed maid. As Yuzu helped her onto the bed, she comforted her with soothing words. Despite the calm exterior, Yuzu was very pale and was squirming inside; was her mother alright?_

_"Yuzu-sama... I don't know how to say this, but..."_

_"What is it, Mitsuki-san? Please tell me," Yuzu insisted not unkindly._

_"S-she... Her body was found lifeless this morning, " Mitsuki barely managed to stutter out before sobbing again._

_For Yuzu's credit, she did not break down right away. But she definitely came close to it._

_"W-what? You're... you're kidding, right, Mitsuki-san?"_

_But no matter how many times Yuzu cried out after that, Mitsuki was unable to answer her._

* * *

"Kurosaki-san... That's..."

Hanataro didn't even know how to respond. It was bad enough that Jinta had defiled her so, but for her to wake up the very next morning, only to find her own mother gone? His heart nearly broke for the young woman in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel awed. She was so small, and so very delicate. And yet, she had gone through so much already in her short yet bitter life. He respected her greatly, acknowledging that the fact she was able to still smile so brightly was greatly impressive.

"I don't know what to say," he murmured, thoughts still whirling. How was he even supposed to comfort her?

Yuzu just smiled, eyes distant.

_There's still so much you don't know_, she thought sadly. But she couldn't tell him - any more, and it would be pointless. No one else needed to know the burden; she could carry it fine by herself.

"Kurosaki-san, are you ok? You have an odd look on your face," Hanataro said worriedly. "If you aren't feeling well, perhaps you would like to sleep instead?" he asked nervously.

Yuzu pondered the thought for a while, and finally nodded.

"Why not," she agreed happily. "... Thank you, once again Hanataro-san. My heart... it feels lighter."

Hanataro smiled back. "Anytime Kurosaki-san."

He helped her up from the couch, and carefully tucked her into the bed.

"Sleep well, princess," Hanataro said gently. After debating with himself internally, he relented and quickly placed a kiss on Yuzu's forehead.

"I-I'll be taking my leave n-now!" Hanataro suddenly said, embarrassed that he had done such an act.

Yuzu simply giggled and grabbed his hand tightly. "Please don't leave," she asked in a quiet voice. Hanataro looked back, and suddenly, Yuzu just seemed so small, so frail, and so helpless. Knowing he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to, he smiled gently back in response, and sat down on the bed beside Yuzu's head.

"I'm right here," he whispered. "Now, go sleep and rest yourself."

* * *

"Rukia-nee!" Karin called out angrily. "Get the hell back here, right now!"

Said woman was frantically running down the aisles in the library, avoiding capture from a furious Kurosaki.

"Never!" she called back.

Gritting her teeth, Karin picked up the pace. It was difficult to run in such a long dress, but she didn't care. Right now, her priority was catching Rukia-nee, WHO HAD INVADED HER AND HISTUGAYA'S PRIVACY.

"You won't get away with this!" Karin yelled out.

The two raven-haired women continued running through the library, dodging bookshelves, and the few maids and servants whom were around.

"Rukia-nee!" Karin screeched after another 5 minutes. The two had been at it for what must've been the past half hour, and Karin was starting to feel tired. While running, Karin tried to think up of a solution. What could she do to catch up to Rukia-nee? There was no way she could possibly go any faster...

And then, she knew. The answer wasn't for her to go faster. The answer was for Rukia-nee to go slower.

With a sly grin, Karin pushed the bookshelf closest to her towards Rukia, causing it to hit the bookshelf behind it. A domino effect occurred, and a large chain of bookshelves started toppling over. Books came crashing down, and quite a few of them found their way to Rukia's body.

"Arghh!" RUkia cried out as a barrage of at least 5 books hit her in the back.

"Karin! You little sneak!" she exclaimed when she realized Karin was advancing on her much quicker than before.

With a leap of faith, Karin jumped through the air, easily making the 2 meters which stretched between her and Rukia. With a thud, she landed on Rukia's body, causing both women to topple over one another. After some rolling and tumbling, the final result was a pile of wrinkled books upon which two sore bodies lay.

"Owww..." Karin muttered, as she rubbed her head.

Rukia sat up slowly, her violet eyes flashing. "Karin!" she whined. "My body aches now," she pouted. Karin chuckled as she lifted a book off her head.

"Serves you right! Toushiro and I were having a... private moment. Did you HAVE to peek?" she complained.

Rukia smirked. "So you DO admit that you two were having a moment," she leered, eyebrows wiggling. As Karin flushed a bright red, Rukia's face became more understanding, and she brought a hand up to ruffle Karin's messy hair.

"Karin, what I said about helping you two with your love lives was absolutely true. If you ever need advice and something, I'll always be here," she said, eyes brimming with warmth.

Karin nodded, as her head started wandering. Could she trust Rukia with her newfound feelings toward Toushiro? Before she could come to a decision, Hitsugaya burst into the library.

"Kurosaki! Are you alright?!" he called out anxiously. His eyes searched the vast library, until they finally landed on her small form. He strode over in confident strides, before he arrived and towered over the two.

x

_"Ichi-nii! What's happening?" Karin called out, as she casually strode down the hall. Today was one of the few days she had managed to wake up early - as in before everyone else already finished their breakfast. "What's all the commotion about?" she asked as a piece of toast hung out of her mouth._

_A distant maid called out to Karin that eating outside the dining hall was not very ladylike at all, but Karin just ignored her._

_"Ichi-nii, are you alright?" she asked, as she realized his face looked grim and pale. "D-did something happen?" she asked as she noticed something akin to despair inside his brown eyes._

_"Karin...I don't know how to break this to you..."_

_"Spit it out already!"_

_"I'm going to be blunt. Okaa-san is dead."_

_There was no anger or sadness in Ichigo's voice; just emptiness. Nothingness, yet, at the same time, all the emotions in the world. He was tasting true, and utter despair. It was bitter._

_Karin didn't accept it. _

_"Ichi-nii, that's not even funny! Stop kidding around!" she shouted after a moment's hesitation._

_Ichigo couldn't even respond; instead, he just looked at her sadly._

_Karin's face showed a million emotions, as pain, disbelief, and despair distorted her lovely features. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Karin turned and ran._

_She ran and ran and ran. _

_If only she could run away from this horrible nightmare..._

x

"What the hell?" Hitsugaya exclaimed. "Care to explain why you two are lying in the middle of a library with all its bookshelves turned upside down?"

Karin and Rukia glanced at one another before replying at the same time.

"Nope."

Hitsugaya was about to complain and demand for more information, but Karin cut him off.

"Hey Toushiro, wanna help us clean up?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

Grumbling under his breath, he reluctantly agreed. The three individuals started reorganizing the books and flipping the bookshelves back up.

x

_Karin sat down before the fountain in the Kurosaki garden. Her finger carelessly traced the cold stone carving of the young boy with the dragon. _

_Whenever she felt distressed, she would always come to the fountain. The boy with the dragon attracted her, as if it were a magnet. Though she didn't understand why, the sight of the boy calmed her. However, even the stone carving couldn't calm her today._

_"Okaa-san..." she whispered, voice cracking._

_"K-Karin-chan?" a soft voice said._

_Karin whirled around, and came face to face with her twin._

_"Yuzu! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying desperately to erase any signs of sadness from her face. She was always known as the strong twin, and she couldn't let Yuzu see her breaking down. Especially not now._

_"I had to clear my mind... So much has happened," Yuzu replied._

_She sat down on the grass beside her twin, and a comfortable silence passed between the two._

_After a few minutes, Yuzu spoke up._

_"Karin-chan... I have to tell you something," she whispered._

_"Yeah?"_

_"I... Jinta-kun, he..."_

_Karin whirled around at the sound of the bastard's name. _

_"What did he do?" she asked, alarmed at the sight she saw. Tears were running freely down Yuzu's face, and hurt was etched all over her face._

_"Tell me, Yuzu! I'm gonna go punch his face in!"_

_"He... last night, he..." Yuzu started sobbing as the horrible memories came back. She bent over crying, burying her face in her small hands. "I-I told h-him no! But he wouldn't listen to me... I tried t-to get him to stop, but he wouldn't!" she managed to get out while hiccuping. _

_Despite the vague words from her twin's mouth, Karin had a rather clear understanding of what she meant._

_At this point, Karin was shaking with rage. "Are you saying... are you saying t-that he raped you?" she asked, her words shaking from her anger._

_Yuzu could barely nod as she reached out to her sister. Without any hesitation, Karin grabbed her twin and hugged her tightly. As Yuzu continued sobbing, Karin stroked her back comfortingly as she pondered the various ways she could kill Jinta._

_"Shh... it's ok Yuzu."_

_"I-it's not! I-I trusted h-him! A-and when I woke up this morning, Okaa-san..."_

_The pain began to suffocate Yuzu as she continued to cry. "Why? Why me? Why?" she wailed despairingly._

_Karin couldn't even answer._

x

Karin was back in the garden. She realized that no one had really bothered to clean up the debris left behind from the battle a few days ago.

Pieces of the stone fountain still lay on the ground. Karin picked up the piece of the fountain which the boy and the dragon etched on, and she looked at it sadly. She cradled the piece in her arms as she looked up at the sky. She really couldn't explain it, but she felt as if she had a connection with the stone.

_How silly_, she thought to herself. She was becoming sentimental over a piece of rock.

Something cold suddenly came in contact with Karin's head and she yelped. With a leap, she looked back and relaxed when she saw Hitsugaya. His large hand was resting on Karin's head.

"Your hand's really cold, you know that?" she asked.

Hitsugaya simply shrugged. He sat down, and motioned for Karin to do the same.

As the two settled down, Karin spoke.

"You know, this exact place... this is where Yuzu and I were the morning we realized Okaa-san died. We sat here for the whole day, not having lunch or dinner. I was comforting her," Karin remembered as the memories flowed over her. "She was crying," Karin stated numbly.

"Do you dislike this garden?" Hitsugaya asked softly.

After a moment's hesitation, Karin replied.

"No. Though it does hold some bad memories, I still treasure it. Before, when we were young, Yuzu, Ichi-nii and I would always play here. Okaa-san and Oyaji too... It's also really calming. This place clears my head," Karin answered just as quietly. Her thumb was stroking over the face of the boy in the carving unconsciously as she answered.

The motion catched Hitsugaya's eye.

"Ah! When I crashed into the fountain during my battle with Harribel, I saw this. I was wondering... do you know why it looks so much like me?" he asked, hands reaching over for the stone carving.

Karin's face reddened slightly as their hands brushed. Shaking her head, she suddenly gasped with realization.

"When we first met, I thought you looked really familiar. It was because you look really similar to this carving! I always came to the fountain when I felt conflicted, specifically to the carving of this boy. I felt a connection with it. No wonder I felt a connection with you too," she marvelled.

"Hold on a minute, let's backtrack. Did you just say that I looked really familiar when we first met?" Hitsugaya asked, interest immediately peaked.

"Oh! Um, yeah," Karin said awkwardly. "Sounds kinda stalkerish, doesn't it?"

"No, it's fine... I thought you looked really familiar too..." Hitsugaya thought out loud.

"Does that mean we knew each other before? Wait, that can't be right. If we did, my family would know you as well, and they definitely don't seem to remember you," Karin said.

"This... is very strange," Hitsugaya murmured. "There are so many mysteries surrounding you and your family. It's as if Fate is winding itself around the Kurosaki family."

Confused, Karin stared at him. "Fate?"

"Your mother. The land was peaceful up until 14 months ago. If I remember correctly, the day your mother was killed, the land erupted into war. Your brother and father. The Light Legion* was losing the war. Then those two showed up and turned the tables that very day. Why is there such a strong connection between the Kurosaki's and Fate? I'm sure you and Yuzu have been the causes of mysterious incidents as well."

Karin pondered what Hitsugaya said for a minute or two before answering. "Now that you mention it... There was that one incident."

"What incident?"

"Ah!" Karin exclaimed. _Shit, I wasn't supposed to say that! Yuzu and I both promised we wouldn't tell anyone. Because no one else needs to know. No one else needs to have such a burden._

"Nah, I don't know what I was saying. There haven't been any incidents concerning us two," Karin quickly said, lying to cover up her blunder.

"Don't lie to me, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya growled.

Karin twitched at the use of her surname, but didn't flinch.

"I swear, it was nothing," she said, waving her hands in the air to emphasize her point. "Don't worry about it." She grinned a fake smile to further persuade him that nothing was wrong.

"Kurosaki... don't lie to me. Please," he whispered, voice pained. "I want to be able to protect you."

Karin faltered, her smile freezing. Slowly, she lowered her hands and looked down. _Forgive me, Yuzu. But I can't lie to Toushiro. I can't._

"It was the day Okaa-san died..."

x

_Yuzu continued to sob into Karin's poor dress for a long time._

_As dusk fell, Karin realized the two had been out for practically the whole day. Neither of them had eaten anything, yet Karin didn't feel hungry. She felt empty. Empty and broken._

_Sighing inwardly, she looked at Yuzu's peaceful face. There were dry tear tracks on it. Yuzu had fallen asleep while crying, and Karin had been content with letting her sleep the day away. The girl had been through so much in the past 24 hours._

_The thought of what happened to her little sister last night made Karin's blood boil._

How dare that Hanakari brat do that to my sister?! To my beautiful, sweet, kind little sister?!

_Karin glowered at the sky. _

_Suddenly, the ground shook._

_Yuzu woke up with a start as the ground continued to vibrate._

_"K-Karin-chan, what's happening?" she asked while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes._

_"I don't know!" Karin answered back as she stood up. She glanced around, hoping to find the source of the vibrations. She was starting to feel uneasy; her mind was screaming at her to run away, that something horrible was about to happen. Of course, she was Karin, so she couldn't just simply run away._

_Her eyes finally landed on a man who she could've sworn wasn't there the last time she looked. _

_The man had wavy brown hair, and a single strand that hung on his face. His sharp brown eyes were cold and empty._

_"Why hello there, Kurosaki-san," he said in a smooth voice. "My name is Aizen Sosuke. Nice to meet you."_

* * *

***Don't remember what "The Light Legion" is? Check out Chapter 2! :D (It's the alliance formed between the Hinamori royal family and the Kurosaki royal family, joining the two lands, Karakura and Seireitei, together.)**

**Dun dun dun! It's Aizen - finally! (It took nine chapters for the antagonist to finally show up...) But yeah, stay in tune for the next update!;) WHICH I PROMISE WILL BE SOMETIME THIS WEEK. ****I'd like to apologize one last time for the super long wait for the chapter, but I definitely have the time this week to update again. (Hip hip hurrah?)**

**Thank you for sticking with this story despite how horribly undedicated I am.**

**One last thing; I feel like I'm asking for way too much (considering how long I was gone ._.), but I would really really appreciate it if you guys could review after reading! Opinions, thoughts, constructive criticism, anything is fine. :) Anything to show you're enjoying (or not enjoying..?) the story.**

**Until next time!**

**~abyss-of-lights**


	10. foreboding

**What's this? Two updates in one week? No way!**

**Yeah, sorry for its super short length though. OTL I hope the updating speed makes up for it?**

**Disclaimer: Bleach is Tite Kubo's!**

* * *

Hitsugaya started at the very sound of the man's name.

_"Why hello there, Kurosaki-san," he said in a smooth voice. "My name is Aizen Sosuke. Nice to meet you."_

"Kurosaki, did you just say Aizen?!" Hitsugaya growled in a low voice, teal eyes flashing dangerously. The very thought of this dangerous man being _near_ Karin set him on edge; did Aizen intend on corrupting everyone dear to him? First Momo, now Karin...

Karin nodded her head sadly, looking into the sky. "He... was terrifying."

"You know, at that time, news of the war hadn't reached us yet. Yuzu and I only knew Aizen as the man who had stabbed Momo-sama a few months earlier. Even so, we could immediately tell that he was bad news. I think that... was the first sign of Fate."

* * *

_Karin froze as Yuzu stood up on her feet._

_"Did you just say... your name was Aizen?" Karin asked in a low voice._

_"Indeed, I did," Aizen replied calmly. _

_Karin gulped; she could _feel_ the waves of power rolling off of the man's body. He reeked of corruption, despair and destruction. Sweat drops began forming on her forehead and the back of her neck. This was a dangerous man. A very, very dangerous man._

_Yuzu too understood the gravity of the situation. "You... are the man who injured Momo-sama from Seireitei kingdom, aren't you?" she asked in a timid voice._

_"Hmm... so news of that has already reached Karakura? How interesting," he drawled in a disinterested voice. "Even so, I did not come here today to talk about that useless girl. No... I believe we have something much more interesting here...?" he finished off with a smirk, eyes glinting in a menacing way. His cold eyes found their way to the two twins' faces._

_"What do you want with us?!" Karin said, not moving an inch. Her voice was hard, and it promised that despite her status, she would not be unwilling to resort to violence. Even though this man scared her shitless, she would stand her ground. She would be strong._

_"I want to taint you," he said maliciously. _

_Karin wrapped a protective arm around Yuzu while scowling._

_Aizen simply smiled before releasing a larger wave of power, so much so that it was nearly visible as a black haze surrounding his body. It was practically a shockwave, blasting the air around him and forcing the girls back a few steps. _

_Karin gritted her teeth as Yuzu cried out slightly._

_"My my, I do hope you two are well-behaved and disciplined," he said, suddenly appearing within two feet of the girls. "After all, anything else would not befit your status."_

_Unable to hold in their surprise, the two girls gasped in unison as they leapt backwards._

_"S-stop!" Karin exclaimed, dismayed to find her voice stuttering. "Don't come any nearer!"_

_Aizen merely chuckled, but the smile never reached his eyes. "No need to be so hostile, _Karin-chan._"_

_"You have no right to call me that!"_

_Shaking his head slightly, Aizen simply smiled. "Alas, it seems we won't be getting along very well. What a shame."_

_Karin felt furious, yet terrified at the same time. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Call for help?_

_As if reading her twin's mind, Yuzu spoke up. "Karin-chan, maybe one of us should go get Ichi-nii?" she whispered in her ear, hoping Aizen couldn't hear her._

_Unfortunately for her, Aizen's hearing was well and fine._

_"I'm sorry _Yuzu-chan_," he began cruelly, emphasizing her name. "But I cannot allow that. I am here for you two, and you two alone. To be exact, I'm here for _Karin-chan_."_

_Yuzu shuddered and felt her knees weaken. She almost collapsed, but Karin's hold on her sister was strong._

_"What do you mean?" Karin hissed._

_"I have unfinished business with you, but I'll let that slide for now. Rather, I need your magic. Hmm... it seems the death of your mother couldn't trigger it. What a shame," he said in a bored voice. After pondering, Aizen continued._

_"This is a dangerous game to play; one wrong move, and poor little_ Yuzu-chan_ here will lose her life_. _As long as you promise not to make trouble, _Yuzu-chan_ will be safe though._"

_Both girls gasped at this, eyes widening in disbelief._

_"Relax. This is only in the scenario that _Karin-chan_ decides to forfeit her sister's life for something else."_

_Smirking, Aizen said one last line. "Did you know this world has already died once before?"_

_Not waiting for a reply, he disappeared in a puff of smoke._

* * *

Hitsugaya was speechless as Karin finished recounting the tale.

"A-are you stupid? Why haven't you told anyone about this?!" he finally managed to sputter out.

"Give me one good reason why we should've told someone! It's not like he did anything to us."

"You still could've told someone! And he practically made a death threat on Yuzu!"

"Yuzu made me promise not to tell anyone. She might not look it, but she's strong. She had good reasoning too; and I quote: 'Karin-chan, you mustn't tell anyone! I feel... knowing his motives is dangerous in and of itself. Besides, as long as we don't do anything, there's nothing to worry about. He said it, he said I would be safe as long as you didn't do anything. Karin-chan, you can't tell people.'"

"That's a terrible reason!"

"I respect my sister's wishes, and they were made in order to not disrupt the concentration of our forces! Something like this could easily break the will of our soldiers."

Hitsugaya stared and Karin while gaining a newfound respect for the younger twin. Yuzu took all the misfortune upon herself, seeing it best for the rest of society to not know about this. Aizen's motives were still unclear, and throwing this out in the open wasn't going to make anything better. Rather, it was more than likely to cause disarray and chaos amongst the people.

As he looked at Karin, Hitsugaya realized that she was trembling. On closer inspection, her face was filled with frustration.

"Believe me, I wanted to tell someone. I did. But Yuzu made me swear, that she was ok. She really didn't want needless panic; there was already enough with Okaa-san's death. She did it for the sake of everyone's sanity, but... but she's just 16 like me! She just got raped the night before, and she lost Okaa-san immediately after, only to have a death threat placed on her next! I can't stand it, she's my little sister, but I can't do anything to protect her!"

Though Karin wasn't necessarily crying, her face showed despair all over it. Hopelessness creeped into her voice as she threw herself at Hitsugaya.

"I don't know why, but I can't protect her no matter what I do!"

She buried her face in his chest as she yelled her discontent. "I always... I always knew she was suffering. But Hanakari's reappearance made me realize that I've been taking my sister's strength for granted. She's going to break soon, I swear!"

As Hitsugaya held her close to his body, his hatred for Aizen grew. How much suffering was he going to bring to this world? As he stared down at the raven head on his chest, he knew that the threat wasn't made solely to scare Yuzu. No, Aizen must've known about Karin's kind heart and how she would do anything for those she loved. Being helpless to do anything active to protect her sister put Karin in such misery, Hitsugaya was surprised at how normal she could appear sometimes. Aizen was a clever bastard alright; he pulled everyone's heartstrings perfectly.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. She's perfectly fine, as long as you behave," he said rather affectionately. He looked up into the sky, still holding Karin close to him. The sun was setting, casting beautiful colours everywhere. Reds and oranges clashed together, and pinks coloured the clouds.

Slowly, Hitsugaya stood up and dragged Karin up as well.

"Let's go get some dinner, Kurosaki," he said. With a nod, Karin dusted herself off and the two made their way back to the castle.

"Hey, Toushiro?"

"Mm?"

"When are you going to call me Karin?"

Hitsugaya stopped in his tracks, and looked at Karin fondly. His teal eyes shimmered in the sunlight as he looked at her seriously.

"Who knows?"

_When this war is over and I can finally be honest with my feelings for you. That's when I'll call you Karin._

* * *

**Yay, fluffy-ish ending. :) Hope you liked the (short) chapter (I'm kinda meh with it; not my best work I suppose).**

**Please please _please_ remember to review.**

**Thank you, and have a great day. :D**

**~abyss-of-lights**


End file.
